Polish schools in multiple municipalities canceled classes Thursday due to hazardous icy roads and sidewalks, with authorities ensuring continued supervision where possible.
Municipalities Announce School Closures
In Nowe municipality (Świecki County), the mayor decided to suspend educational activities on Thursday, January 15, in municipal primary schools and the public kindergarten. The reason given was slippery and icy roads and sidewalks that could pose a danger to children. At the same time, facilities are to remain open and provide care for children if parents cannot arrange it at home. The municipality also announced that school transport will not be operating on January 15.
According to information published on Wednesday afternoon, classes in schools in the municipalities of Gniewkowo, Pakość, and Złotniki Kujawskie are to be canceled for Thursday, January 15. In these municipalities, despite suspended lessons, care will be provided in the form of educational-care activities for students whose parents decide to bring them to school. Meanwhile, at the time of publication, there was no information about canceling classes in schools in Kruszwica municipality. In Gniewkowo municipality, difficult road and sidewalk conditions were cited as the reason for suspending classes. The published communication emphasized that schools would provide educational-care activities; there was also a request for residents, if possible, to stay home the next day.
Transportation Arrangements Vary
In Kcynia municipality, school buses will not be operating on routes, meaning no pick-up or drop-off services; detailed information about school operations should be published by the institutions themselves. In Białe Błota municipality, by decision of the mayor, classes in primary schools and preschool departments within schools are suspended for two days, from January 15 to 16; during this time, transport is not operating, but care in after-school clubs is provided. In Nowa Wieś Wielka municipality, pick-up and drop-off of students have been suspended, which in practice means no classes on January 15, while ensuring care for children and youth who arrive independently. The local government does not rule out extending the decision if freezing precipitation continues in the coming days.
Changes were also introduced in other parts of the region: in Kikół municipality, school bus transport was canceled, but classes are to be held according to schedule, while in Inowrocław, School Academy – First Degree Vocational School canceled classes for January 15, leaving the open office from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM.
Additional School Closures Announced
The director of the School Complex in Jabłonowo Pomorski also announced the cancellation of classes for Thursday, January 15, citing difficult weather conditions as the reason for the decision. In Inowrocław, the School Academy published a notice about canceling educational activities for January 15, while informing that the school office would be open from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. The mayor of Nowy Duninów municipality also informed about the cancellation of school classes for January 15, stating that the decision was agreed with the school management due to very difficult weather conditions. The communication noted that detailed regulations would be communicated to parents by the school principal via the electronic journal Librus.
“Due to the safety of students, classes in all Schools for tomorrow have been canceled,” wrote the Mayor of Zawidz, Kamil Różański.
Legal Basis for School Closures
Decisions to suspend classes may be based on regulations concerning safety and hygiene in schools. The regulation indicates, among other things, that the director – with the consent of the managing body – may suspend classes for a specified period when the outdoor temperature measured at 9:00 PM in two consecutive days preceding the suspension is -15°C or lower, as well as when other events occur that may endanger students’ health. The same act also stipulates the requirement to maintain a temperature of at least 18°C in rooms where classes are held. If the suspension of classes is to last longer than two days, the Act – Education Law provides that from the third day, the director organizes classes using methods and techniques of distance learning, within the scope specified (including taking into account the needs and possibilities of students and local conditions).
Dynamic Situation
Experience from previous winter weather episodes shows that lists of facilities with suspended classes can change in a short time, and decisions may affect individual municipalities, specific schools, or selected types of activities (e.g., while leaving the facility open for care). Local governments and schools primarily convey details in current communications from institutions, in electronic journals used by schools, and in information channels of municipalities and their authorities.