It's snow day for laziness

 When this pandemic started and people proved that they could work from home and then schools proved that they could ask children to work from home I joked that this was the end of the snow day.  Now that we have finally had some snow in Essex my theory is being put to the test.

Obviously, most children aren't going into school but are learning from home; logging onto teams, watching videos, battling their parents not to put pen to paper, battling each other on TimesTablesRockStars (I don't know if that is one word I'm just writing it the way children say it).  Will snow  disrupt this home learning?

Of course it will.  Parents are finding it difficult to make their kids do the  work as it is.  Teachers know that at the first flake of snow they have lost their students' attention.  Every single child has their nose pressed, either actually or metaphorically, against the window. It's the week before half term, everyone is sick to death of the Mayans and their odd shaped pyramids (or whatever topic is currently the hook for learning), kids are tired, parents have hit the Covid-wall and there's no distinguishing between levels of pain anymore.

"Her grandma died alone and they couldn't go and see her and now they've got to go to a funeral where they can't sing, hug each other or drink sherry and tell stories about how wonderful she was.  She's having a really tough time."

"We are all having a tough time.  I just want to go to the pub."

It all just feels awful.  People want a snow day.  They want a cheeky, unexpected day off to be lazy, get cold and wet and have an excuse to sit in front of the fire all day drinking hot chocolate.  They feel that after the trauma this year has caused, they deserve it.  

We get snow so rarely that it would be wrong if parents didn't prioritise some outside time but schools have a legal obligation to keep expecting home learning to continue.  

The snow day has always been a nightmare for headteachers. Whatever they do, it's wrong. If they stay open then they are putting their pupils and staff at risk and any injuries could be blamed on them but if they close then they are lazy snowflakes who just use any excuse.

This time, it's even more of a difficult decision.  The only children who should be in school are those who can't stay at home.  These could be the children of key workers who have to go out to work, whatever the weather or viral situation or those who are vulnerable if they are at home.  Snow doesn't change this situation.  Doctors, nurses, policemen, firefighters, supermarket workers and food producers can't stay at home because there's a bit of snow, so surely the schools should stay open for them.  

It will be an interesting day, watching to see which headteachers agree with me.