Thought Id start this one going because its rather dead on this board at the moment and I suppose all my usual muckers are either at the Stella tennis event watching Dim Tim (lose again) or at Henly Regatta eating cucumber sandwiches (they wish,...NOT).

Anyway please feel free to just talk to yourself blast away and let it go on any company or subject you wish. Just wish Id thought of this one before.

cheers GF.

Greekman - can you see if they know why most state schools closed for so long as well especially when lots of private ones remained open. Might be a similar reason.

One of the main reasons for state schools closing in snow isn't to do with H&S as many might think.

Instead it's to do with there being a high level of unauthorised absenteeism from students who can't make it to school because of the bad weather. The level of absenteeism not only reflects badly within Ofsted reports, but schools have to tack on extra days at the end of terms if it gets too high.

If, on the other hand, they shut their doors completely, there will be NO unauthorised absenteeism ........

Isaacs,

State schools do not tend to loose pupils, whereas private fee paying schools could.
I also feel Hilary has got a very good point.

Hilary,

How cynical can you get. I do though believe you have hit the nail on the head.
I have seen many Head Teachers on the TV proclaiming that they have shut due to insufficient teachers being able to get in.
Rubbish. Presumably the percentage of teachers being able to get to their schools is about equal to the percentage of pupils. So if a third of teachers cant make it, then it stands to reason that a third of pupils cant.
Surely then lessons could have gone ahead with a bit of shuffling around.
The stupidest excuse I heard was from one Head Teacher who stated that his school had shut in case pupils had slipped, injuring themselves on their way to the school.
Presumably these same children would not have then played outside on sledges, skates or other 'dangerous playthings'.

Private school's have boarder's

Plenty of private schools have no boarders and the kids still get to school. It may be that the parents regard education more important than many of the sytate school parents. One of my kids goes to a private school and one went to a state school (now at a sixth form college). The schools were fairly near each other. The private school had a very wide catchment area and not specifically children living near to the school. The state school had a pretty tight catchment rea and none of the kids travelled any distance. Last winter the private school did not close once and almost all the kids got there. The state school closed several times and even when it was open quite a few children did not make it in. The same is true of the teachers. The private school has teachers coming from a long way off (30 to 40 miles). Almost all the teachers made it in. The state school had less than half on snow days.

Isaacs

"if they know why most state schools closed for so long as well especially when lots of private ones remained open. Might be a similar reason."

Haystacks,

Perhaps, the real reason as suggested is that the Private schools' pupils are incarcerated in them, or that the parents can't stand the presence of the kids any longer and forceof their offspring to go to the various institutions.

=========

Nice to see Clarke is back tracking on tory "law and order policies" and allowing the inmates out.

Mind Cameron did say he was the "law and order" party, so we should have expected the reversal of his "law and disorder" policies and undertakings.

One foot forward and guess where the next one is going.


I hear some of the "blue rinse brigade" have turned grey and demanding their money back.


==========


As I wrote previously, the new tory policy on "Students grants" was/is the equivalent to Maggie Poll or Pole Tax policy.

The governing party seems split on its major policies once again.

Bring back Cameron, or should we say David Davis. (Where did we leave the knives.)

PS.

Mind, I am sure Hilary is looking forward to paying tuition fees for Cambridge in a few years time.

I'll just cover my kids' fees up front, Flintstone. There's no point whatsoever in taking out one of those silly student loan things and paying more than necessary to the state. Unless you're volunteering to cover them, of course.

That's even if Balliol is in Oxford, not Cambridge.

Hilary.

Is it.

Oh hard luck.

==========


Not volunteering.

Can't even afford Xmas presents this year.
=====

G. might help you out.

PS.

Though it was Ballyall.

Been informed by a postman from our nearest town, that they have been told that if there is a possibility of slipping on snow/ice they are not to deliver, re the old Elf and Safety.
Be nice to see what the official Post Office party line is when/if they reply to my E-Mail.
Both milkman and dustbin men made it today, no problem.

I wonder what they are putting in your milk?

Any thrill-seeking adventurers out there, that want to earn a few quid for charity?

http://www.maginternational.org/supportmag/abseil/national-lift-tower-abseil/

If you were a teacher in a state school would you A live near the school or B risk your car to get in to suffer a day's abuse?

Shall we have a whip round to get the sponsorship to send Fred over the top of that tower.

We often see analyst recommending companies for investment.
For many years I have received a daily list, often as I have mentioned before these lists give differing recommendations.

Todays list is a good example.

Kesa Electricals KESA Altium Capital Buy 171.80p - - Reiteration Electricals KESA
Kesa Electricals KESA Shore Capital Sell 171.80p - - Reiteration
Kesa Electricals KESA Seymour Pierce Hold .

Well one of these will be right, with two wrong. I wonder how many investors pay big amounts for recommendations from these people.

Which is the analyst for the House Broker?

At a guess Altrium - or Altrium are trying to drip feed a large block into the market
Another guess - they dumped Shore at some point or Shore are trrying to buy a load
Another guess Seymour aren't interested enough to make an effort

Love the new ad for Hublot watches.

Good old Bernie!

.