03/09/2026
I've seen a few local leaders speaking out about the school closures taking place tomorrow, in an attempt to avoid traffic pressure and anticipated dangerous behaviour as a result of the funerals.
All the posts I've seen so far have been whinging: along the lines of "why should the kids suffer?", and, "why should parents have their working days disrupted?".
Fair questions. But, frankly, I think they're totally missing the point.
Surely we can expect that any functioning society can cope with an afternoon of schools shutting down?
Let's be honest: the kids aren't gonna care about having a couple of hours off. It's the first week back after 6 weeks off; it's already gonna be feeling long enough for them. A slightly longer weekend isn't gonna harm them at this point in the term. They're still just getting back into the swing of things anyway. They could do with the time to decompress and take in the adjustment.
But, why are we required to give so much of our lives to our employers? A business should not be so fragile that it can't handle one early Friday afternoon finish for a handful of employees.
We've had notice. There's been time for alternate arrangements to be made. Why is there an expectation that your boss is allowed to own your soul? Help my autistic ass figure that one out.
Life should always come before work. Otherwise, what's the point?
Yes, kids shouldn't unnecessarily miss school. However, this has been a local tragedy. Everybody has heard what's happened, and unfortunately everyone has an opinion on it. There's gonna be disruption — whether we like it or not.
I think it's a sensible decision to shut the schools. The kids are safe, teachers and school staff aren't put at unnecessary risk at or leaving work, and the expected chaos can be controlled as needed without the risk of children getting mixed up in the middle.
If we can't handle one afternoon of disruption, that's a symptom of much bigger issues at play — in which case quit moaning that it's unfair and do something about it. In the meantime, I'm all in favour of our kids being kept safe 🤷♀️
