Temporary exclusion and threatened permanent exclusion

SetPhasersTaeMalkie

Apologies

My understanding is that drug use in school will lead to a temporary exclusion but that a permanent exclusion for USAGE would be unusual ( but not impossible) However the school may well believe that, because the OP's son refuses to name the dealer, that the incident has gone beyond "simple" usage and into more severe territory.

www.eis.org.uk/Glasgow/images/mc08_0215%20exclusion.pdf might be useful.

As a minimum, you and he would be expected to sign a written assurance of co-operation. He will not be readmitted unless this is done.

Boneyback I think the OP was quoting my question before answering it.

If he refuses to name supplier, they are likely to think he was the supplier. Unless he actually was.....

Perhaps because the headteacher had already had a conversation with your son where your son wasn't remorseful and full of his 'rights'?

Or you or your son not being entirely honest about supplier? Son hasn't named supplier, if school think/know he was supplying/dealing (and yes I know you said he wasn't) that would likely be considered acceptable grounds for permanent exclusion.

user1483060276
What is making you think he may be permanently excluded if this is not your local authority policy?

You put it in the title of the thread. So that is what people are responding too.

All right then, you were told that on the phone. That must have been pretty scary to hear. Obviously this is worst case scenario.

As posters from Scotland have told you a permanent exclusion is rare but can happen.

Are there any other factors that would stand against him? I'm thinking general behaviour and so on.

To be fair, although I think there has been massive overreaction on here, he does need to give up the supplier. That's a dealer, happy to deal to kids. Not on.

I am well aware that it is not up to me, the future education of my son once he turns 16 is up to him.

Errr... no, at this point it's up to the school.

Have you insisted to him that he divulge the name of the person that sold it to him to the school?

Your 'rights' diminish as soon as you break the rules / law. Other students have the right to be educated in a drug-free environment and in a school where the law is respected.

I'm in Scotland too, an area where drug use is a major issue. ESPECIALLY cannabis. Local schools have a zero tolerance policy and temporary exclusion is pretty much automatic.

Permanent exclusion is rare but it DOES happen. If you look at the actual legislation op, failure of the student and/or parent to engage with the school on what the school believes is necessary to address the bad behaviour, whatever that might be is ALSO a reason to exclude permanently with that in mind you REALLY need to adjust your and your sons attitude! You're speaking as if the school had done something awful to your son for no reason NO Your son BROKE THE LAW ON SCHOOL GROUNDS!

He has rights but MORE IMPORTANTLY he has a

RESPONSIBILITY to take his education seriously and appreciate it

A RESPONSIBILITY to NOT break the law on school grounds

A RESPONSIBILITY to NOT break school rules on school grounds

A RESPONSIBILITY to be held accountable for his actions

A RESPONSIBILITY to NOT bring the school into disrepute

A RESPONSIBILITY to NOT cause the school to have to deal with this kind of shite!

Mutual respect? Where's your and his respect for the law and his school?

From your own attitude on this thread I strongly recommend you AND your son learn more about the effects and dangers of cannabis especially on teenagers whose brains aren't yet fully developed.

Are you a cannabis user op?

Have you enacted ANY consequences for him for this?

"A parent who goes in and says "We've been in touch with XYZ charity, have seen the GP, and Son has an appointment with a drugs counsellor on Monday" is going to come across so much better than a parent who refuses to see it as a big deal and bangs on about her "bunny" and his rights." Yep!

You are coming across as very arrogant and massively minimising his serious misconduct.

I also agree you're out of order asking for thread to be deleted I really hope it's not because there's no good reason for it to be and if we don't get through to you maybe we'll get through to another reader with a similar attitude.

I haven't noticed much in terms of judging young people about drug use. I spent some of my life working on a needle exchange so I don't get my knickers in a twist over cannabis. My best friend has serious mental health problems partly brought on by cannabis use so I don't minimise its use either. I have never said I think op s son should be expelled, OP asked how to play it in the meeting, many of us have suggested a reasonable approach. It was fairly foolish to use drugs on school premises, that's not a morality judgement, just a statement of fact.

I think asking for the thread to be deleted just about sums up your "I know best" attitude. I hope it doesn't cost your son his place at school

I think it's unlikely he will be permanently excluded over this one incident as it will just cause the LA a massive headache to try and find a place for him in education but in another provision.

What is making you think he may be permanently excluded if this is not your local authority policy?

If I were a school official, I would be demanding he name the supplier before I'd even consider allowing him to remain in school. That would be a firm condition. Sorry. Misplaced loyalty IMO.

You are the epitome of what I hate about parents.
My child is in S 4 at a high school in scotland...your attitude and your nonchalance over drugs is what I hate about the education system that we are Stuck with. You and your son both feel totally entitled to something - but feel you are above following the rules and responsibilities that these require you to follow...

I hope to hell he is excluded.
And I hoe you then realise that your attitude is rubbing of on him.

Bloody hell - you don't care if what he does is legal - as long as he is morally a good person.
Let's tell you now - he's not moral - and I suspect he gets that from you.

Give your head a wobble - please. And rethink this before you go to the school.

User clearly you are choosing not to believe me - as you appear to be choosing not to see that your son may have to face consequences that he may have brought upon himself.

There has been a lot of good advice and common sense from a number of posters however this now feels like an aibu - OP saying they are not unreasonable, everyone else saying they are, OP saying no I'm not ad nauseum.

At the end of the day I'm sure the school will be thrilled at your superior knowledge telling them how to do their job. Blaming the school for ruining (or trying to ruin) your son's future is nothing but a deflection though. With an attitude like this at home I think he needs a massive wake up call.

No, he refuses to say, except that it was an older child in school. The other children were searched by the police and their parents were informed of suspected drug use. No formal action was taken against them
So all his pals who were equally involved left him in the shit? Charming

You're going about this all the wrong way OP.

GingerHollyandIvy

that was what I meant, he has already made his choice :)
(the image may be in bad taste but I couldn't resist)

but I'd be afraid that he'd see it as trying to force him into college.

He may not have a choice.

But he did have a choice. And he chose to break the law and the school rules. He wasn't forced to do this. He knew the score. It's not rocket science that if you smoke weed in school, there's a fairly good likelihood that there are going to be consequences that may affect your education path as well as career path.

He chose poorly. His priorities are poorly organised and I have a good idea where that came from.

If the OP hasn't gone away, here is some information from someone who has been on the school side of the table in a number of these sort of meetings (in a Governor's Disciplinary Panel).

First, check the school's drug policy. It will be (or should be) on the website. That will detail the rights of anyone that contravenes it.

Second, despite a school having a zero-tolerance policy towards drugs, unless a student is dealing or using class-As in the dining hall the majority of schools will arrange a number of meetings - with the local community police, with a drug counsellor and with the Governors to help the student understand consequences, and to know where to get help.

You say this is a resolution meeting - this sounds like part of the process. DO NOT go in talking about rights until you have cjhecked the policy and know exactly what it says, as a Governor I can tell you the school will be putting the rights of the other students to be in a drug-free environment first. I would expect the student that supplied the joint tobe excluded - or put on notice of exclusion. Your DS should just get a warning.

I know the Scottish system is different, but the principles will be the same.

Oh, and by the way - I don't believe a toke on a joint is a hanging offence, but all rules are there to be followed, and those that don't need to accept the consequences which are (or should be) clearly laid out and trump the 'rights' you quote.