More than 2,300 schools across the UK are closed because of snow and ice today – but in many cases staff being unable to get to work has been blamed.
In Wales around 500 schools are closed, 400 will not open today in Birmingham and approximately 300 are shut in both Staffordshire and Gloucestershire.
Critics branded the closures ‘ridiculous’ and said headteachers were ‘too quick’ to close their doors to pupils in bad weather.
Many parents have expressed their disbelief because their local schools have been closed because of snow – even though they haven’t got any.
Howard Webster wrote: ‘I can’t ever remember a time when my school was closed because of the weather: We’re breeding a generation of wimps governed by a generation scared s***less by health and safety legislation’.
Some posted photos of areas with little or no snow where schools were shut for that reason
More than 2,000 schools across the UK are closed because of snow (pictured in Aberfan Wales yesterday) and ice today – but in many cases staff being unable to get to work has been blamed
Frank Crisp tweeted: ‘Staggered to see local schools closed because of snow just seen the woman across the road who is in her 80s walking back from the paper shop and kids can’t even walk to school’.
A large proportion of schools cited staff being able to travel in as the main reason for closures. Health and safety for staff and students is the other main reason.
Many parents have been forced to ask take holiday or find emergency childcare this morning.
Amy Coxhill tweeted: ‘Staff are expected to get in!! In 19 years I have never had a snow day when I’ve not been expected to get in’.
Drapers Academy, which runs a number of schools in Romford, East London, said it was closing because staff did not think they would be able to get in.
In a letter to parents, headteachers said: ‘A number of our staff are predicting it will be too treacherous tomorrow to get into school from where they live.
‘Although the snow is forecast to stop around 9pm, with freezing temperatures the roads will be icy and dangerous.’
While some parents welcomed a ‘snow day’ and said they did not feel safe driving, others were incredulous.
Michelle Skeels wrote on Facebook: ‘How ridiculous… it will be melted by tomorrow.’
Margaret Morrissey, of campaign group Parents Outloud, said: ‘I think the schools are too quick to close, it is the easy option.
‘I am of the older generation, and went to school in the 40s and 50s in the East Midlands, where we had a lot of snow, and I don’t think I can remember having one day off because of the weather.
‘Parents have to take a day off or find child care. I understand that in some rural areas where it is really bad, it would be dangerous.
‘But I think the decision to close all of the schools in a city as big as Birmingham is quite frankly ridiculous. What would happen if countries like Russia did this? Their children would never get an education.’
Some have claimed that schools would rather shut to avoid increased absences skew their attendance figures.
Sledgers skid down a snow-covered hill near Princes Risborough in Buckinghamshire where 243 schools are closed
Children play in the snow in Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire, where 300 schools are closed
Waseley Hill High School Rubery, Birmingham is closed after severe snow fall overnight and the weekend – one of around 400 closed in Birmingham
Man walks with a child in Bradgate Park Leicestershire where a small number of schools are closed today
Parents were angry at schools not ‘bothering to open’ and having to make emergency childcare arrangements
Many were also shocked about the high number of schools closed today.
Another wrote: ‘The world has gone soft. When I was young we went to in all weathers. Nowadays if there’s a snowflake schools are shut for a week!
Will Henryson wrote: Schools closed due to snow?…..When I was a kid school would be open even if the heating failed. Snow? It was only a 4 mile walk – each way.
Jade Kuzian: I really don’t understand all the drama about this snow & why almost every school is closed? The roads are fine’.
@ahmed_shak said: ‘My brothers’ school sent out an email yesterday saying it will be closed because of the snow. loool there’s no snow’.
In Essex 30 schools are closed but @Dookist tweeted: ‘No school in Essex should be closed today. It’s not below freezing and the snow has thawed’.
At least 2,300 schools are due to be closed at the start of the working week following a cold night which saw temperatures drop as low as -11.6C (11F) in Chillingham Barns, Northumberland.
A chilly day is forecast – and yellow warning for ice is in place for most of Wales and central parts of England – while on Monday night temperatures could drop as low as -15C (5F).
Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill told the Press Association: ‘It was chilly in Chillingham Barnes, but it wasn’t the coldest night of 2017 – that was Saturday night when temperatures went down to -12.4C.
Some said a generation gap has emerged where schools are shut more often than in the past
‘We could well beat that tonight and could go as low as -12C and even -15C.’
The cold weather has brought disruption to flights, with dozens cancelled at Heathrow, and train services are also likely to be impacted into Monday.
Western Power Distribution said engineers worked through the night as they aimed to restore power to 10,000 home in the Midlands, South Wales and South West.
SSE said they restored power to 48,000 customers on Sunday and that 2,900 remained without power as of 11pm on Sunday night.
As a result of the snow and freezing conditions, Birmingham City Council has been forced to cancel all council-run school and related transport services on Monday, the authority said.
More than 200 schools will be closed in Gloucestershire, and more than 100 in Shropshire.
In Wales 500 schools are shut including 71 in Flintshire and 49 in Denbighshire.
Pete Williams, the RAC’s road safety spokesman, said they are expecting 11,000 breakdowns on Monday, a figure which is 20% above the seasonal norm.
‘I think the big thing is people are not going to leave enough time,’ he said.
‘Journeys will take two to three times longer.
‘It’s going to be treacherous driving conditions.’
He said low overnight temperatures could cause black ice and urged people to drive slowly, leaving plenty of space between them and the car in front.
More than a foot of snow fell in Sennybridge in Wales which saw 32cm (12.5 inches) on Sunday.
‘It wasn’t like this when I was a kid’: Thousands of children made to stay after all schools shut in Birmingham (even though roads are now clear)
Angry parents hit out at school closures today – after every school in Birmingham was closed, despite thousands of workers being able to make their way around the city to get to work.
Hundreds of schools across the city were closed today with some already announcing that they will be closed tomorrow as well.
But parents have hit out at the decision to close, claiming that clear roads mean pupils should be able to travel to school.
Manor Park Academy is one of hundreds of schools closed in Birmingham today
Naz Hussain, 36, from Birmingham, was forced to take a day off work to look after his niece, after his sister wasn’t allowed a day off from her job to look after her daughter.
He said: ‘I think it’s utterly ridiculous that the schools are closed. The pavements might be a bit slippy but the roads are fine – there are cars driving everywhere.
‘It wasn’t like this when I was a kid. I have had to take a day off of work to look after my niece because her mum couldn’t get time off work.
‘She rang her boss to ask to stay home and look after Amelia, but the boss wouldn’t let her because they’re short staffed already.’
Amelia’s school, Manor Park Academy, in the Nechells area of the city, was closed all day today, despite the main road outside the building having been cleared.
Manor Park Academy in Birmingham was closed all day today, despite the main road outside the building having been cleared
He added: ‘Her mum had to get a taxi to work which was an hour late and the taxis are charging time and a half, which is criminal.
‘When I was young and it snowed, they used to bring us in and we’d stay inside or have a toy day. The heating’s on, there is no power cut so why have they shut? The roads leading to them are fine – it’s a joke.’
Afaaq Anser, 19, was asked to stay at home to babysit his 12-year-old cousin, who had also been told not to go to school today – which he was only able to do because his own college was closed.
‘I am staying home to babysit my cousin. He’s 12 and his school is shut today but his parents can’t get time off of work because they run their own business.
‘Luckily my own college is shut today too so I can look after him and it’s not too much bother. I’ve been staying home because the transport around the city hasn’t been great, and I don’t like the cold weather.’