A FURIOUS businessman has branded local state schools ‘pathetic’ and ‘inconsiderate’ for failing to open in the snow.

Jan Merriott, co-owner of property consultants Bartle Pye in Dorchester, says schools in the private sector showed ‘British stoicism’ and carried on through the big freeze.

Dad-of-two Mr Merriott said his firm missed out on a week’s productivity because his staff and customers had to look after their children whose schools were shut.

Most Dorset County Council-maintained schools remained closed for two days during last week’s big freeze.

But private schools such as Sunninghill Preparatory School in Dorchester and Thornlow Preparatory School in Weymouth managed to stay open.

Mr Merriott said: “How come the private schools managed to stay open but most of the state schools closed on the day and further decided to close for the next day?

“What’s happened to the stoic British ‘get on with it’ attitude?

“Perhaps you only get this sort of ‘training’ in a private school and the rest of us will be trained to play the wimp card?

“It’s pathetic. It’s too easy to close the school down and the chaos it creates is inconsiderate.

“There seemed to be an element of ‘let’s have a holiday here’.”

Bartle Pye was considering taking on a new apprentice, Mr Merriott said, but is no longer doing so because of the knock-on effect his business suffered from schools closing.

He added: “The actual effect of this is a week’s loss of productivity.

“The result is that businesses such as ourselves who were considering taking on new staff from the very institutions that were closed now have to push the decision out to the New Year.

“What sort of example does this create to the children?”

Rupert Fowke, head teacher of Thornlow Preparatory School, said keeping the school open on both days wasn’t a difficult decision to make. He added: “I was amazed that other schools had closed.

“My philosophy is that as a school we have to encourage children to have a work ethic. You’re not going to acquire a work ethic if every time you look out the window and there’s snow, you don’t work.”

Good communication at Sunn-inghill Preparatory School enabled the school to stay open, headteacher Andrew Roberts-Wray said.

He added: “I feel sorry for my state school colleagues who seem to be overwhelmed by health and safety legislation.

“It’s being forced on schools. We would never endanger our children but we provide a service to our parents and want to educate them as best as we possibly can.”

Radipole Primary School and St John’s Primary School in Weymouth were among the minority of state schools that stayed open while snow was on the ground.

Radipole headteacher Veronique Singer said: “Every school is different. A lot of children walk to school here and live in the area.

“I believe that as a school if we can get here we should be open because there are parents who need to get to work.”

Royal Manor Arts College on Portland opened the day after the snow fell, but closed shortly after until Monday.

Headteacher Paul Green said: “We were 10 teachers short as a result of people in outlying areas not being able to get their cars out and it was still icy so we had to shut the school at 11am.

“For health and safety reasons we stayed closed on Friday because the playground was too dangerous.

“I have sympathy with Mr Merriott’s views and we all want the Dunkirk spirit but there are times when it just can’t work.”

A Dorset County Council spokeswoman said each headteacher makes a decision about whether a school closes.

She added: “Factors they will take into consideration will include whether teachers and/or pupils are able to travel safely to the school premises and whether pipes and boilers are functioning normally.”