You will note I tried to report and give my experience factually. I specifically avoided expressing an opinion. Was interested in any responses.

FWIW, my opinion is actually:

1. That teacher who was interviewed was guilty of a piece of appalling PR for the profession. She may or may not have been working from home, but several people I have spoken to (one of whom had to pay a lot for an emergency child minder so she could get to work) who saw the clip were scathing about the attitude that came across. It is of course unclear whether the reaction was deserved or otherwise, and we do not know what may have been edited out.

2. I have a lot of sympathy with head-teachers who have to make the close/open decision - damned if they do and damned if they don't most especially because of the heath and safety bollox. And I recall speaking several years ago to a head teacher, of a local school, who used to go to same gym as me - she said that (as in all jobs) there were always some teachers who she knew would not try to get in, and others who bust a gut to. And she was the one who got both barrels from the latter regarding the former, and said what could she do about it? And that point you make about OFSTED attendance %ages - interesting one that, cos not heard it made before. Yet another example of the law of unexpected consequences?

3. I actually agree entirely with your point about parents who seemingly do not make an attempt to get their children to school. You will see I was aiming my "made it in regardless" comment at both teachers and children. I remember last year talking to a teacher who said whenever there was snow or ice, loads of children whose parents who were at home all day (for whatever reason) did not turn up citing the conditions, whereas most of those whose parents had to go to work did. Strange.

4. When I was a kid (I finished school in 1974, and admittedly went to school in a Midlands market town so we had neither quite the weather severity nor quite the hills of this area) I cannot remember a school in the town not opening once due to snow. My mother told me the same. Most of the kids from the many outlying villages made it in, in the school buses. A big difference I recall was that roads and pavements seemed to be cleared far better in those days - most people cleared outside their own houses rather than saying "someone" should do it. And I recall that, for example, whenever it snowed the dustbinmen all changed into snowploughmen. And of course there were far fewer cars about and far more people walked or cycled to school then - and no-one was worried about bloody paedophiles and other vermin.

And they dont start til 9.30, and they finish bt 2.30, and what about all those holidays, and they retire at 60, and what about their golden pension.

They need to get a proper job. Teachers! Ive $hit 'em.

Surely they never had metres in your day...?

It will be shut...

Whole new can of worms opening.....done

Too right if they want it to go out sledging they should do it during the 6 weeks holidays.

I can't work out who I think is worse at the moment teachers or Anjem Choudhary!

Genius.

At least he didn't skive off work the last few days.

67 now for me, unless I go off early on medical grounds.

You wont last til your 67. We all die or go mental in our late 50's.

never had you down for being that old...

I look so good for my age

due to my sedenrtry profession and lifestyle!

No, it hasn`t always happened. I was at school during the fifties and early sixties (when this weeks snow and ice would have been regarded as being very much on the low side of average) and can honestly say that none of the schools I attended were ever closed because of snow or ice, though I do remember a friend who missed some time due to the boiler not working. I fully appreciate that we just don`t get enough snow to become used to it these days, and I accept the `blame culture` argument, but does no one feel any personal responsibility anymore?

I understand that if you work in a different town you are in a bit of a bind but living and working (or kids going to school) in Bradford, if you can`t get the car out, then walk! It`s just a few inches of snow for Pete`s sake.....

Yeah that's my experience too. I find it embarassing that I have to park two streets away whereas my neighbour with the battered Fiesta sails up the street.

The funniest thing I have seen was a bloke stuck at Manchester Airport whose plane was cancelled. He was going to Finland to take part in a management team bonding exercise building igloos! Unfortunately in my experience people travelling around the place to complete totally pointless tasks with little social use is actually what most of our economy is built upon, and I am a bit wary of those who remember the snow always being deeper, the schools always being open, the trains always running on time, in some past golden age, very rarely proves to be the case.

I am also encouraged that people take the personal responsibility of hanging out with their kids and playing in the snow more seriously than doing jobs they don't like. As for trying to make teachers etc feel guilty for not working, i'd begin with making investment bankers feel guilty for working first. I'm sure economists will keep bleating about how much the 'economy' is losing, but then again they haven't quite understood that the economy is about the service of human needs and not the other way around, so stuff them.

Great post.

Fine words. One German economist in particular held those sort of views in the 19th century. Unfortunately, everywhere his theories were put into practice all we saw was poverty, human misery, impoverishment and - guess what? - most humans serving the needs of a small ruling elite. Maybe if a few more people understood that you have to create wealth before you can enjoy the benefits of it (like being able to afford to take the day off because of the weather - my Grandad was a miner who had to walk 8 miles each day each way just to get from home to the coal face and he never had that luxury if the family was to eat) we'd be in a better state than we are now.

And don't throw the investment bankers argument at me; throw the buggers off a cliff by all means - I'll give you a hand - but their greed and selfishness is a separate issue.

And now we have absolutely no poverty, human misery or impoverishment - oh hang on a second... just poverty of imagination.

All depends what sort of wealth are you talking about. As Rowan Williams pointed out before Christmas the etymology of the word economy is 'household and habitat' it describes the means through which we create the conditions for a good life. The fact that most people don't enjoy their jobs and that enormous amounts of energy goes in to disciplining them to do things they don't enjoy and that aren't socially productive and might even be downright damaging is hardly evidence of a successful economy. And the 'german economist' argument is not only a cliche it's not an argument, it's a straw man device and you know it. Your Grandad was a victim of the expropriation of his labour-power by those for whom he generated surplus value, the very people who had the time to take every day off because they lived of the work and alienation of others. The only saving grace being the culture of solidarity and resistance working under such conditions generated. Shame there's not more of that now, instead of all these mean spirited attempts to make people feel guilty for enjoying themselves, when they try and recoup some of the 'wealth' they're owed and have been owed for generations. I'm sure 'business' as usual will return only too soon.

Thank goodness for an economy that uses the energy of creative people to design free gifts for cornflake packets, designs obsolescence into products and thrives off making people feel they lack something in their lives - the latest tv, car, hair colour, slimming pill etc. You couldn't make it up, but unfortunately there's plenty of people out there to unthinkingly defend it.

Just to get it back on my own intellectual level, may I interject with my own thoughts.


Snow is cold.


Thanks!

Give me a shout when you want to return to the real world?

Utter bollox.

THIS snow is in fact BLOODY cold!!!!!

As in freezeyourbloodyboloxoff cold!

It was minus bloody NINE on the way back between Addingham and Silsden earlier. I'm totally pîssed off with it now. Come back rain, all is forgiven...

Well argued. I give up.

Thank chuff . . . .



Now, snow . . . .

SUPER LEAGUE: MAN OF SNOW

All you surrender monkeys out there who have not [i"been able to get in to work", "can't get in to work" [/iicon_wink.gif may find [url=http://www.superleague.co.uk/article.php?id=16218THIS[/url, and the free Gillette World Club Challenge tickets, of interest.

Hmmm. Might be worth a quick google image search and half an hour with Photoshop, that