Temporary exclusion and threatened permanent exclusion

Edinburgh return on the 10th

Glasgow schools don't start back until Thursday.

Your son is a dick, lots of teens smoke weed but not many are dumb enough to take it into school and get caught with it

It won't have happened yet. The earliest schools go back is Tuesday and some not until next Monday.

I wonder what the outcome of the meeting was?

I suspect that there is a group in almost every school that smokes dope, I also know that those that get caught (with evidence) get either a managed move or in some case PEXd. In some cases (most likely) both.

I'm under no illusion that kids smoke dope at my DDs' school. My DDs tell me they do. I also know that if they were to do it (or get caught doing it) they would have very very serious consequences to face at home as well as at school. I would certainly not be struggling to get worked up about it.

Groovee - exactly. Another school was found. This is what happens. So anyone that thinks there are no dope smokers at their school is probably incorrect. The ones who get caught just get passed around. The ones who sell are more difficult to deal with. There is no government policy which says children who smoke dope must be permanently excluded. Therefore there is no "hard line" against drugs. Drug problems are dealt with differently by individual schools but there is no hard line blanket policy to exclude permanently. A permanent exclusion is often another school's admission.

Parents, the child, drug advisers and the school will need to work together to improve the situation, whether in this school or another one.

A situation similar to this arose in my school in November(England). The end result was the pupil was placed on twilight provision because both parent and child failed to see how serious an issue it was. As a result the pupil attends from 2-6pm completing work set by teachers. Not the way to top results but since the family would not take the situation seriously the school had to prioritise the rights of the majority of pupils.

OP I seriously doubt your DS does not smoke and the need to smoke cannabis during the school day suggests a more worrying relationship with the drug.

I'm curious to know, OP, what sanction from the school you would be prepared to accept as just, if he's lucky enough to get away without being excluded.

Passmethecrisps I did wonder this. I can imagine that medicine would need a very 'positive' reference

I'm hoping he doesn't get expelled and equally hoping he quits the smoking/cannabis. It's been a very interesting thread and I'd love to know how it goes - please come back and let us know.

When this happened at our school the child continued in the pupil support base doing all the subjects until another school
was found for them. There was a lot of waiting as many schools did want to take the child due to the drugs connection. When a place came up pupil and parents had a home school contract to sign with the new school.

So theoretically it wasn't a permanent exclusion but the pupil wasn't allowed to remain permanently at the school.

Bottom line is that the school has to weigh up the message that allowing him back gives out. Exclusions (fixed-term or permanent) are what a hard-line against drugs looks like. If they let kids get away with it (and that's what it will look like to all the other kids), it's a green light to everyone else to light up a spliff. Where's the hard line then?

Mind you, with my cynical teacher's hat on, they might also be considering how much of a contribution he might be making to their ranking in the league tables, if he's a bright kid who is likely to ace his exams.

Surely smoking dope at school is a step too far??

In all my years, I have never seen a young person smoke cannabis who did not already smoke cigarettes. Therefore if a child has an addictive personality, the opportunity to smoke tobacco and then cannabis and gets a kick from seeing if he gets discovered in school, then there is likely to be an ongoing problem. It could also get worse. This may depend on friends and what they do and what they have access to. We also tend to forget that many parents have, themselves, a relaxed attitude to drugs. They started at uni and carried on at festivals and parties and privately at home. It is highly likely many children are rather used to the idea that their parents smoke dope. It is then one small step for them to copy.

Throughout this thread there have been posters who don't want dope smokers in schools. I just pointed out that this was unrealistic. There are loads but most don't get caught!

I think user148 etc ( name a coincidence??) has a relaxed attitude to cannabis. I was like that till it cost my son a year of uni and some mental health issues. cannabis today is much stronger and less predictable than in previous times. the school is likely to be very intolerant of a parent accepting that cannabis use is ok

In answer to gnome's question. As the writer of 384638373737 ucas references what will make a difference is attitude rather than this single instance. One fall from grace will not impact at all if the lad is generally a good student. If he adopts all already had a shitty attitude then the reference wouldn't say that outright but in the worst situation would lack positives - admissions officers are extremely skilled at reading between the lines.

I have never written a reference for someone with a criminal record (op's son does not to my knowledge) but I do know that obviously this would preclude (and has in my experience) a student from courses where the student would be working with vulnerable people.

So teaching or nursing or social work would be a no. International Relations or engineers, no reason why it should have an impact as far as I am aware.

Gosh - another ramble. The holiday has obviously rendered me unable to say anything briefly

OP a quick thought

It is likely that they will put a good behaviour bond (like probation) in to any return to the school.

With will mean that he will have to behave but also that he will not be able to go around saying that he 'got one over on the school' or 'I said it wouldn't be that bad' etc.

Which given what you have said could be an issue.

And having seen the post above mine - I've spent years working in criminal justice as well. You need to be taking this more seriously.

In the school's position if you haven't already arranged support from the young people's team of your local drug service I'd be expecting you to accept a referral.

I'm a former teacher who now works in community drug and alcohol services by the way.

Why are you more concerned about nicotine than cannabis? You do know the effects of the strong stuff they smoke these days, don't you? I work in the criminal justice system, and it's not a harmless little toke, and that's before you even think about getting involved with dealers and the associated crime and gang activity that comes with it.
If that was my son, I'd be very worried.

You have said your DS is aiming for a prestigious course. I don't know the Scottish system at all. Will this fiasco impact on any information which might go from school to uni? Do you need to consider what is on your DS's permanent record? While not ideal educationally would a fresh start be better overall?

Some students at DD's school were found to have drugs on them earlier this year. It didn't take them long to worm out who supplied them and who else was involved. The police were involved of course.

I think the fact that he is not naming his dealer will be a big problem. It makes it look like he is the dealer taking illegal drugs into school, afraid to give away his much more serious out of school dealer who is up the chain.