Parents call for free childcare if schools are shut for elections

Hundreds of schools across London became polling stations for last week’s local elections, meaning children had to stay at home.
Reuters

Parents today called for childcare to be provided when schools are forced to shut on election days.

Hundreds of schools across London became polling stations for last week’s local elections, meaning children had to stay at home.

In Tower Hamlets, 43 school buildings were turned into polling stations, in Croydon there were 33, and in Kensington and Chelsea there were 18.

Seven nurseries in Hackney were shut, seven schools in Kingston, and in Camden four schools closed.

In Ealing, 19 primaries were shut and one secondary partly-closed, and in Merton 16 schools were used as polling stations, 11 of which shut. The Merton schools got £40 compensation.

Most schools used the day for staff training. But the closures caused a headache for parents, many of whom had to take days off work.

Margaret Morrissey, of campaign group Parents Outloud, said schools that close for election day should be responsible for providing childcare to pupils. Failing that, local authorities should choose other buildings, she said.

She added: “Schools are becoming the easy option. Now more parents are working it’s not so easy just to close a school. It is very difficult to keep a school working and also allow public access, so I think local authorities must find other available polling stations.”

Louisa Symington-Mills, founder of Cityparents Group, said: “The UK has no culture of ‘bring your child to work’, and that of course means that on a day when school is cancelled, a child is sick or a childminder changes plans, you have to roll out plan B.

“For the lucky ones, that means roping in family or friends who live near and are happy to step in and help so you can get to the office.

“If that’s not you, then many forward- thinking businesses wouldn’t think twice now about allowing an unplanned day working from home. But if that’s not you either, then your last resort might be taking a day’s holiday — and a dose of positivity.”

Schools are used as polling stations free of charge, but they can be re-imbursed for costs such as caretaker overtime, heating and lighting.

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