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Teacher fury over Sammy 'mollycoddle' remark

By Linda McKee
Friday, 6 February 2009

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Angry teachers today hit back after Environment Minister Sammy Wilson accused schools of “mollycoddling” children after many closed due to the snow.

More than 30 schools closed their doors yesterday following heavy snowfall and another 15-20 have followed suit today, citing health and safety reasons for the decision.

Mr Wilson, a former teacher himself and the minister with responsibility for promoting road safety, said many people used the weather as an excuse to take the day off.

“Personally, I think it’s a lot of nonsense. It’s no more dangerous to go out in the snow than it is to go out in very wet weather, windy weather or in conditions of poor visibility like mist or fog,” he said.

“I know there are a lot of health and safety nuts out there who are trying to make people take no risks at all. If they had their way, we would all sit in the house all day tied to a chair and never move.

“Kids go out and play in the snow, their parents go out and do other tasks in it, so why can’t they go to school and go to work?

“Some schools are over-cautious and use health and safety as an excuse. We are turning into a society that uses the slightest skiff of snow as an excuse to take a day off,” he told the News Letter.

Frank Bunting, of teachers union INTO, cited a school bus that crashed in Tyrone earlier this winter after driving on an ungritted road as an example of what could happen.

He called for Roads Service to grit roads around remote schools instead of simply gritting roads that carry 1,500 users or more. “If the principal gets it wrong, we’re talking about a child’s life,” he said.

And Helen McHugh, principal of Lagan College in Castlereagh, described why she made the decision to close the school today.

“We seem to have been hit by the worst of the weather this time – it’s worse than yesterday because the snow has frozen,” she said.

“A decision to close is not one that we take lightly. I went into school at 7.15 this morning to carry out a site inspection and I had a very difficult journey over myself with the car sliding all over the place. We didn’t take that decision lightly and we do take the children's education very seriously. When we phoned the parents they were very understanding.”

A Department of Education spokesman said: “The decision to close a school due to bad weather is entirely a matter for the schools themselves. Schools would apply for retrospective permission to close due to bad weather. The department would advise parents who are unsure if their children’s schools are open to contact the school directly or check local media reports.”

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40 Comments

Tells it all doesn't it. 39 posts on Wilson and Bunting having a sham fight over another day off for a minority of schools but hardly a word from the teachers or politicians on the transfer chaos. Do these people think parents are stupid? A clear unequivocal answer will suffice Sammy and Frank.

Posted by Puzzled Parent | 07.02.09, 16:22 GMT

While I do think that the Minister should learn to engage his brain before operating his mouth I agree that schools are far too quick to ask pupils to stay at home. Schools are supposed to be open for a certain number of days per year and yet my childrens' schools regularly ask parents to keep the children at home for "Study Leave", "P6 Days", "Prizegiving" etc. The department appears to consider these teaching days when clearly no teaching takes place. Most recently the entire Year 12 was put on study leave during their mock GCSEs on the premise that it would be good practice for May and June. Wgat rubbish, rather than doing structured revision in school with their teachers they are left to struggle to revise at home in an empty house with no supervision so that the poor overworked teachers can have a few weeks on a reduced timetable a couple of weeks before the Christmas holiday.

Posted by Anne | 07.02.09, 10:46 GMT

A rather Belfast-centric remark from Sound-bite Sammy of Stormont. I live in rural Co. Tyrone and believe you me the roads were absolutely dreadful. I believe it crazy to send children on a journey of 10 miles in such conditions. Schools make decisions in the best interests of their children. Sammy Wilson's views on child-rearing are laughable. What is Sammy's CV like in this area of which he seems so knowledgeable?

Posted by William | 07.02.09, 09:51 GMT

mD, you're talking nonsense again. "child falls in snow, teacher/ school get sued" NO NO NO. Child falls in the snow they'll get right back up again and be more careful next time. End of story.

Posted by Stuart | 06.02.09, 21:37 GMT

Sammy I totally agree with thee

Posted by Gerry | 06.02.09, 20:53 GMT

So if a school bus overturns or skids of the road due to the icy conditions, Wilson would have put his "road safety" hat on and condemned the people who authorised the trip.

Posted by Trevor | 06.02.09, 20:42 GMT

I sort of agree. i mean there were some schools that couldn't be reached by students or school buses however schools that are closing because of a few flakes of snow littering the front gate is ridiculous. Society spoils children which results in them being dependent on it.

Posted by J Henderson | 06.02.09, 20:10 GMT

Spot on Sammy. In fact the schools and school children and teachers who did make it into school should be congratulated and the rest of them penalised. As for one of the comments about claims and schools being underfunded, the schools should have insurance so only the premiums go up. Have a bit of sesne, the schoo is not goint ohave to pay for any setlement.

GET BACK TO SCHOOL!

Posted by Philip | 06.02.09, 18:54 GMT

spot on sammy it is a disgrace!!!

Posted by kiara | 06.02.09, 17:46 GMT

As a teacher in the United States (s. end!) I still find it funny when the public school system closes down if there is so much as a flurry. However, here it is justified - more students are driven to their schools. Having grown up in NI and attended school three miles away from my house, I do not have a living memory of the school ever shutting down because of snow. I was still expected to be there - even after walking a mile to the bus stop with violin, hockey bag and no foot path for most of the way. That said, we have become a car dependent society in Northern Ireland as well...and many students are driven to school now. Walking is becoming uncommon, hence the safety issue.
It's a sign of our times.
BTW when a school closes due to bad weather in the US - that day must be made up elsewhere. My old school has just had three days out due to bad weather-they have now had three days taken off their Easter Holidays...something NI should consider.

Posted by Chris | 06.02.09, 17:34 GMT

I remember the winter of 63 and I walked a mile to Newtownbreda Primary. I live in New Jersey now and a few flakes of snow here nearly shuts the State down!

Posted by Mick | 06.02.09, 17:31 GMT

Full marks to Mr Wilson about time someone spoke out how do children in Sweden and places like that get to school. We are a crowd of loafers.

Posted by J.Lockhead | 06.02.09, 17:14 GMT

For crying out loud,
Is there anything people can do or say now-a-days without someone shouting about how offended they are or how wrong it was. Not just on this subject, but many in the paper today. Someone does or says something, and people/minorities/do-gooders are up in arms screaming offence.
Catch a grip, what you hear all the time may not suit you, you may dissagree, but all this being offended tosh, serioulsly. If its not Carol thatcher, BBC Breakfast news, Sammy Wilson. Yes, I very much disagree with certain view points recently publicly expressed, but I don't overreact and scream offence.
What happened years ago, people ignored offensive behaviour and got on with their lives. If its a true harrassing situation fair enough, but teachers, seriously, offended????

Posted by Stu | 06.02.09, 16:56 GMT

OK, child falls in snow, teacher/ school get sued. As most schools are struggling financially at the minute then it's safer to close.

Posted by mD | 06.02.09, 16:41 GMT

I sometimes wonder what would happen to NI politicians if they were suddenly teleported, for 24 hours, to any one of the majority of countries that demand that politicians who say willfully ignorant, rude, or offensive statements be sacked...

Posted by Jon Hatch | 06.02.09, 16:32 GMT

Sammy definately got it right this time...kids today are overprotected by parents and society in general

Posted by ballyduff | 06.02.09, 15:55 GMT

I must agree with Sammy , kids are totally mollycoddled nowadays , with a million rules on health and safety , political correctness , and who knows what else. Kids are going to grow up afraid of everything and taking offence over very little

Posted by eveline | 06.02.09, 15:44 GMT

Sammy is only partly correct on this one. The safety of children and teachers is paramount. Snow and ice are a LOT different from rain when it comes to driving - especially with some of the idiots out there who never slow down to take account of road conditions.
Plus, we have a litigation culture - sue for the slightest thing - and if some kid is even slightly injured the parents will take the Department (i.e. the tax-payers) to the cleaners.

Posted by Steve | 06.02.09, 15:33 GMT

Yet again Sammy Wilson has made an attention-grabbing statement. God forbid he would praise his former teaching colleagues for the efforts made by most to get into work yesterday (often in the worst possible driving conditions). As for sitting tied to a chair and never moving - isn't that really a fair description of his and his party's policies up at Stormont?

Posted by Brian Adams | 06.02.09, 14:58 GMT

I find Sammy Wilson's comments deeply offensive to the body of professional teachers who have maintained a safe and secure environment for our children during the past 40 years of turmoil. Perhaps he should be given the BBC Thatcher treatment.

Posted by Bemused! | 06.02.09, 14:48 GMT