Roads have never been cleared properly in this country for as along as I can remember (whatever the colour of the Government) . . . quite simply we don’t have the infrastructure because snow events are so irregular.

It is councils which choose how to spend money on the whole, not Governments – broadly speaking I know.

Perhaps it is now time to address those infrastructure issues – make people on the ‘dole’ and prisoners clear pavements and roads, for example, as happens in the USA.

As for teachers living within walking distance of their schools, it makes every sense. Or perhaps, they could make the effort to stay within walking distance in bad weather, as happened at the place where I work (not a school).

Though I do applaud those schools this winter who made work available for pupils over schools’ internet and intranet websites so that pupils could study from home.

People give up too easily in terms of taking responsibility for getting themselves to work.

If we all had a ‘snow day’, where would the electricity be, where would the gas be, etc etc?

In 1954, I was 10 years old, we lived in Aberdeen, our RAF-rented house was about 1 mile from my school and about 6 miles to RAF Dyce, where my father was a ‘Technical Officer’ (Sqn Engineering Officer in today’s Service) on an RAF Auxiliary Squadron.

That winter we had an overnight fall of 18 inches of pure snow. When I was ready for school, after a breakfast of porridge (what else), my mother made sure my Dunlop® wellies were on the correct feet, and as I stepped out into the wondrous almost virginal snow, ( I say almost because there was evidence of shovels having been used, the menfolk in our road had cleared their respective paths) my father had cleared our path and drive and he had long gone to work in the RAF Land Rover Mk1 supplied by the Sqn.

I set off for school, pleased as punch to walk off-path (off-piste) into the roadside kicking the smooth snow, careful not to get it inside my welly-tops (I failed of course, but no matter, I had spare socks in my bag with my school shoes, you see parents planned ahead then)and picked my way to school on the pavements – they had either been swept by the locals or trodden-down by the various tradesmen about their business; the milkman, the baker, butcher, corner-shop owner, the paper-boy, the bus drivers and conductors who were already on their second return runs by 0830.

After a gentle snowball fight and a snowman building project in the playground the bell for assembly rang and on entering the Main Hall lo and behold, there before us were the staff, all teachers present and correct. Few of them owned a car, if they did, ‘lift-sharing’ operated even then, or they cycled, or took the bus to school. We all got there. it wasn’t so much a case of ‘pioneering spirit’ just a desire to get the job done, a sense of duty. And we had fun.

Now, over half a century on, it snows and the UK grinds to a halt. Would you like to know why I believe this is happening? Because outside of the Military, fewer people than ever have that sense of duty, no pride in making the effort and achieving something special. It is all about ‘ME’ and how much do I get out of it. To quote one of the ‘Lieder’ from Cabaret (Liza Minnelli) it’s all ‘Money, money, money’ (repeat).

I understand the plight of today’s parent; you can’t let your beautiful child (your feelings) walk to school because of the slight off-chance of them being in the view of a particularly loathsome specimen of the human race.

Had it been necessary in 1954, my mother would have bundled my two younger bothers into the double ‘Silver Cross®’ pram and walked me there, then capitalized on the situation by doing any local shopping required and then going back home.

Meanwhile my father had taken care to reach the main road to RAF Dyce using the fabled Land-Rover’s big chunky-tread-ed tyres to move skid-free along our road; once on the main route, it was easy going because lorries, milk-floats and buses had all been there before.

I know because I was there. Sadly my daughter was known to give her sons a ‘duvet-day’ if conditions were marginal, before she moved to France with her ‘usband and my precious grandsons. I think she ran off to escape my criticisms.

But here we are enjoying the snow (not) staying at home because our infrastructure cannot cope with the ‘cold snap’ costing the economy billions in lost business.

And the answer to the question that has been forming in your mind while you were reading this?

Oh yes, I am a retired Serviceman, 30 years man and boy in the Royal Air Force. During that time in 1982 we experienced temperatures of minus 22°C with snow, and I distinctly recall driving the 11 miles to RAF ******* to join my crew to fly ‘overseas’ at 0300. Sure, I did slide the car once, as I left my drive, then caution and concentration took over and I arrived safely at the base; with some sense of achievement and pleasure on meeting the other 4 crew members. But then we all had a sense of duty, in more ways than one.

That’s it, good evening – and ‘drive safely’.

A school is a place for children to learn, not for childcare while parents go off to work!
You will also find that when a school is closed teachers will have to use the time for their planning.(it is not a 9 to 5 job with lunchbreaks either).
No I’m not a teacher, I’m a parent of 2 children whose school is often closed due to bad weather as its on high ground ,although I have worked in a school so I see both sides!
Yes other countries can cope with these conditions but you have to remember a lot of schools were built many many years ago and with little money for improvements, hence heating and plumbing problems.

2 days off is not the end of the world I would like to ask parents what happens if your child is ill? Do you send them into to school because you are so concerned with them missing their education, though of course if they make other children ill it is fine for someone else’s child to miss school through illness as long as YOU are not put out. Or those parents who take a holiday during school time, my child needs an education but not as much as I need to save a hundred quid, how do you explain to them that those two weeks you took them out of school, one for summer and one for winter amounted to them losing a whole year by the time they leave the school system and that is why they can’t secure a decent job. I suggest that you realise that being a parent can be inconvenience and before you blame teachers you take a long hard look at yourselves and the society that YOU are perpetuating.