On the way to Melrose last weekend we passed a reservoir that was covered in ice, with snow on some of that. It was very beautiful – I almost wish I’d stopped to take pictures of it. I took the opportunity to explain about ice on ponds to the children – as expected Big already knew she should stay off ice as you can fall through, but Small needed the whole discussion.
I’m not sure how I’d feel if they’d come home from school with this story.
Despite the criticisms, a spokesman for Suffolk County Council said they were satisfied the children were entirely safe.
He said: “As part of a class topic on weather, one child at a time was helped to stand on the ice, while being held by an adult, to see how hard the frozen surface was. The water at this point was a few inches deep. ”
The teacher gave clear advice to the class at the time and in a later school assembly about the dangers of walking on ice.”
He added that it was a properly supervised activity and children were given clear messages about only going near water when accompanied by an adult.
via Head “let children walk on frozen pond” – Suffolk Free Press
Elsewhere in the article it appears that at least one child didn’t understand the message, as he took his three year old brother on to an icy pond to demonstrate the thickness there. It wasn’t thick, but thankfully the child was OK. I certainly don’t think as a teacher I’d have thought that that was an OK activity – I would indeed examine ice thicknesses and look at how long it took to melt, maybe with some in the sun and some in the shade, but I wouldn’t have got small children to stand on a pond. Does that mean I’m risk averse and the teacher concerned here was doing it right? I don’t know, but I do know there are a lot of unimpressed parents about. But don’t worry, your children are safer in school than they are with you. 🙁
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