Schools closing for election

[The Nappy Lady]

Does this annoy anyone else or am I just being a bit Victor Meldrew?

Surely there are enough church halls, vacant shops and parks with room for marquees etc for us to avoid making children miss a day at school and parents a day at work? What does it cost the economy I wonder?

Interested to hear others views.

Molly

[BARA]

The East Dulwich Community Centre is used as a Polling Station - there has to be so many Stations in a Polling District as far as I can see and they should have disabled access. The Community Centre replaced the old St. Johns and St. Clements School when it moved from North X Road to Adys Road.

Christ Church and the Childrens Library at Dulwich are Polling Stations.

The Community Centre has to arrange for a caretaker to open up between 5.30 - 6 am and volunteers to close up at 11 pm. This will be the same for all Polling Stations. There also has to be access to toilets and kitchen/hot drinks facilities for Election staff and also an area where they can eat. Polling Booths arrive on the Weds and have to be stored and are taken away on the Friday.

Whilst some non educational premises can be used - not all of them could cope with the requirements.

[The Nappy Lady]

Thanks BARA, that's interesting to note, though I still think some of the open parks etc. could be used with marquees, portaloos, and all the facilities you mention.

Hey ho, I know it doesn't happen very often, and given lack of other posts I suspect it is just me being a sour puss!

Molly

[citizenED]

Molly, I fully agree with you. I think they should use churches - and pubs. Why close a whole school when you only need a small part of the school. Always annoyed me.

yours grumpily.....

[womanofdulwich]

I wonder what do school staff do on these days?

[Fliss]

Which schools are closing?

[James Barber]

For East Dulwich ward Heber School will be closed for the day.

I met a very happy excited Heber school child yesterday looking forward to the elections.

[The Nappy Lady]

Plus Ivydale in Nunhead and Bessemer, Oh and Bredinghurst also in Nunhead, 5 mins walk from Ivydale!!!

[EDmummy]

@James Barber, I also know some very excited Heber kids. Unfortunately, they will not be as excited to learn that we will be short a few hundred pounds because I cannot work that day! Many countries around the world hold their elections on the weekend. Why can't the UK?

[ryedalema]

Harris Girls is our polling station so I guess that's closing. I'm more concerned with who to vote for - I'm really letting this get to me, sleepless nights and everything.

(Sorry - going off topic - will behave now).

[The Nappy Lady]

I guess that is part of my problem too, just fed up with politicians/politics in general - no faith in any of them and bemused as to who to vote for.

Weekend election - what a sensible idea (therefore something that will never happen in the UK eh?!! ).

M

[crystal7]

I'm a teacher in a school being used as a polling station tomorrow. We still have to go in womanofdulwich! Children cant come in for child protection reasons i think.

[huncamunca]

If I understand it correctly, community schools do have an obligation to their local community as part of the Extended Schools remit and so to offer their building as a polling station is quite appropriate. The school can use it as an INSET day for teachers, which would be a day when teachers were in without pupils at another time if not election day. So it seems a win/win to me.

[clux]

My daughter's school is being used as a polling station but the school is still open tomorrow

[James Barber]

Certainly for local elections its always the first thursday in May every fourth year.

So it would make sense to plan inset days teacher training.

Elections at weekends. What a great idea. It would require parliament to effect such a change.

Suggest it to the new MP from Friday.

[prm]

I have always found it surprising that elections are held on a weekday in this country...it seems very complicated.. In Spain they are always held on a Sunday, so that schools don?t have to close, people who run the voting stations don?t miss work, and most importantly to ensure as many people as possible turn up and vote - if it was done on a weekday a lot of people would miss the voting due to being held up at work or simply too tired at the end of the day to make the effort

[claudia_sofia]

Hi prm,

The same happens in Portugal...elections always on a Sunday and for the same reasons as in Spain.

My son attends Bessemer Grange, and school is close today, fortunately I'm on maternity leave.