Since the December general election was announced, a real-life Grinch has been terrorising hundreds of school festivities across the UK.
According to a Teacher Tapp survey of 1,450 primary school teachers, one in twelve said that the election will disrupt annual Christmas traditions, with schools repurposed as polling stations.
Given such short notice, schools, parents and councils have been left in the lurch. Teachers are forced to cancel, reshuffle or change the venue of slated year-end events, while parents scramble to find childcare.
Despite disruptions, schools are adamant for the show to go on, communicating their follow-up plans via Twitter.
Among those who took to social media are the Billingshurst Primary School of West Sussex, Church Preen Primary in Shropshire and James Gillespies Primary School in Edinburgh.
Horsham District Council have turned down our request not to be a polling station – see my newsletter sent home this afternoon. Please make your views known to HDC and the parish council. New arrangements for the Reception Nativity will be published as soon as possible.
— BPSnews (@BPSHead) November 11, 2019
GENERAL ELECTION THU 12TH DEC 2019
It has been confirmed that our school & nursery will be closed to children. Our school will be a Polling Place. We will continue with the P4-7 Kings Theatre Pantomime visit & will communicate with you about where to drop off & collect children.— JGPS (@weeunicorns) November 1, 2019
School union leaders have also called for an end to using schools for polling day, notably Geoff Barton, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders.
Former children’s minister and East Worthing and Shoreham MP Tim Loughton suggests repurposing pubs instead. “There are alternatives that do not deny children their education, whether on a Monday or Thursday,” he said to Schools Week.
Image by Scott Payne from Pixabay
A prime example of creative alternatives goes to Stafford Borough Council, was praised for their use of an old cheese room, caravans and play areas, as makeshift stations, reported Stoke On Trent Live.
When the election was announced, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson intervened by Tweeting a letter to the Association of Electoral Administrators, requesting they consider alternative polling venues.
?Christmas is such a special time for our children?
There’s no reason that nativity plays or carol concerts shouldn’t be going ahead as planned this year.
I’ve written to returning officers asking them to ensure that there is no impact on the festivities in our schools. pic.twitter.com/cD5UWMoEzd
— Gavin Williamson (@GavinWilliamson) November 5, 2019
His request was admonished by officials, who voiced their “extreme disappointment’ and accused him of “a complete lack of knowledge and understanding” in a strongly worded letter posted on Twitter.
“Your intervention has been unhelpful for several reasons, not least its timing …after most polling stations have already been booked.” Read our response to the letter from the Secretary of State for Education about polling stations in schools at https://t.co/ZQeoccsodK #GE2019 pic.twitter.com/N4m8PHhii6
— AEA (@AEA_Elections) November 7, 2019
The December 12 election would be the third disruption for public schools, who were forced to close for local elections and European elections this year.