Fredericton — With yet another morning of shovelling driveways, cleaning snow off of vehicles and generally just hating nature, residents in the Anglophone West School District are learning that officials apparently won’t be closing schools for snow ever again.
Recently it was reported that New Brunswick students are well below the national average when it comes to instructional hours in the classroom which has led Education Minister Dominic Cardy to get creative with making up the time — by cancelling cancellations altogether.
“Listen, I think these little runts have had it too good for too long under the last administration,” he told The Manatee on Thursday morning from his home office. “It’s almost as if the Gallant government cared more about the safety of children rather than them learning things — and that’s just ridiculous.”
Cardy went on to say that it wasn’t only the kids who have had it too good, but also teachers who “get to sit back, relax, and not have to do the job they’re being paid to do when we get just a little dusting of snow or something. Maybe they should have to work from home like I do when it’s messy outside? There’s an idea — bring all the kids to the teacher’s house on snow days. Problem solved.”
Reactions were mixed when our reporter asked local parents about the lack of snow days this week.
“I’m really happy that they’re finally doing something about the crazy number of snow days,” cheered Amie Young of Fredericton. “My sister is a teacher and it’s so annoying for me to see her not have to go to work all the time.
“Sure, she spends her entire evening every week night planning and cutting things out and marking papers or whatever. And, sure, she has to stay at work late twice a week to direct this stupid play that’s coming up for the kids in her school.
“But still, I want her to have to work her normal hours along with all those extra ones — it’s only fair. Besides, I’m still on vacation this week and if my kids don’t go to school, where do they go? That’s right, they stay home with me — no thanks.”
“It’s amazing to me that they force us to send our children and teachers out in these storms,” complained Bernie Alders, also of Fredericton. “I think teachers should get to stay home and get paid for doing nothing — just like most other people in the province.”
let one child be hurt or killed on these bad roads, going to or from school because they are forced to, see what happens then, with your decision
Good that Cardy has sorted out the school system. Now if Minister of Labour Trevor Holder will get off his butt and reintroduce the 60 hour week with no overtime or raise in pay we in New Brunswick may be able to drop third world province from our list of designations!
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Maybe if kids went to school all day monday thru friday then they would learn more… this half a day wednesdays is crap… when i grew up i went to school everyday…
I think the safety of our children should come first; as a parent, the responsibility of education on snow days goes to the parents. I usually get upset to hear parents say that there are too many snow days and that they have to have their kids at home – why did you have kids then….it is your first responsibility. Parents can teach their kids at home other things that math and science….there are plenty of educational subjects that can be thought in a play environment. Cancelling the snow days is ridiculous; new parents just do not want to take the time to teach their kids things that are not part of the school subjects; ..such as music, snow sports, do some crafts, etc. When my grand-daughter has a snow day, we take advantage of it to do crafts, play board games such as scrabble…not difficult….what is wrong with parents these days…I did the same thing with my own kids, and I worked full time; I would take a vacation day to spend those snow days with them….we do live in Canada, and the roads can be dangerous in winter….Wake up and be the parent you should all be…parents do not want to take a vacation days for snow days as it interfere with their vacation down south of whatever else….my vacations days were used for snow days, doctors appts, and as parent this is the sacrifice you have to do….my rant for the day….CANCELLING SNOW DAYS should be kept…as a parent, if I feel that the roads as too dangerous for my grand-child to travel by bus, she will stay home and have quality time with one parent or myself.The education of your child is also the responsibility of the parent…..not just the school system.
Well said!! You choose to have kids your responsible for them and there safety comes first. I have two and if I think that it’s too bad and roads are not safe they will stay home no matter if they choose to close school or not.
I totally agree with this comment from Micheline Y Davis. I have no problem whatsoever to spend the snow days with my daughter, which keeps her safe at home. I will never have complete trust in any driver’s ability to transport my daughter to and from school on any given day, especially stormy days. It is the parents’responsibility to teach their children as well as the teachers. Parents these days are too focused on their careers instead of their children. Being a parent should always be your primary job. Don’t put our children at risk of any motor vehicle accident, don’t wait for a fatality to happen before we realize that keeping our children home keeps them safe.
If parents sent their kids to school on regular school days, instead of letting them stay home for whatever reason the child throws at them. The snow days might not seem so bad, snow days are for safety, but just letting them stay home because that’s what they want not helping any situation…
Basically the school districts should cancel buses on stormy days/inclement weather and then let the parents decide if their child should go to school or not. That would solve all the complaining on if school was cancelled and the weather didn’t end up that bad, or not cancelling school and ending up with a nasty storm. Of course then people would have nothing to complain about then though
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