AIBU?
To be a amazed at the amount of teenagers smoking outside of school and wonder if there is a way i can approach the school about it?
Cookethenook · 17/05/2013 10:03
Ok, i know teenagers smoke. It's not ideal, but i realise it's just one of those stupid things you need to try and get out or your system when you're young. God, i was awful. We would go to the local park every friday night, drink absinthe and smoke marlborough reds, so i can hardly talk! However, smoking at or near school was always a huge 'no' for us because there were very severe consequences for us if we were caught.
The issue is this. The local secondary school is situated just off the village green. Around the green are two primary schools, 3 nursery schools and my DS's school, whilst not on the green, is on the same road a bit further down the hill.
I'm astounded by the number of young people smoking on their way to and from the secondary school. It's not just one or two hiding round the corner, it's large groups of kids surrounded by a cloud of smoke- it's very obvious and they do nothing to try and hide the fact that they're doing it. There is a total lack of teacher presence, so i'm not sure wether they're unaware or simply feel that if it's outside of school hours, it isn't their responsibility. Obviously the parents have a part to play too, but it's a small place, so most walk to school from the beginning of year 7.
I think it's such a shame. The secondary school is the only non-grammar in the local area, so the majority of the kids at the primary and nursery schools will end up going there and i feel that they aren't setting a great example for the little ones (not that the teenagers probably care about that, but i can't believe the school doesn't). I'm a childminder and the kids in my care, including my own, have noticed the older ones smoking.
Should i approach the school about it? I don't want to look like a total nutter, but i feel that the school should be doing something to tackle the problem and discourage their pupils from smoking, for their health aside from anything else.
LindyHemming · 17/05/2013 10:05
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livinginwonderland · 17/05/2013 10:08
The school can lecture them until they're blue in the face, but if it's outside school hours, there's very little they can do. Besides, I'm sure they have more important things to worry about than whether some teenagers are smoking outside of school hours.
chosenone · 17/05/2013 10:15
Yes. Approach the school. Phone up and speak to the head directly. I am a teacher and our head takes complaints very seriously as he needs to market our school as every child that comes to the school is worth money and schools need money. Parent's ring in to complain about kids littering , swearing, messing about on the bus etc and our head deals with it the best he can. Smoking is illegal in under 16's and the school should be apprehending them. They are in uniform and this reflects on the school. However, I also think the same of the groups of kfc staff I saw fagging it in uniform y day.
bettycoast · 17/05/2013 10:19
I saw an article somewhere recently about a school that has started to allow smoking (over 16s only presumably) so long as the children have written permission from their parents. I was a bit 
to start, but after I stopped laughing, I realised it was genius - who wants their parents approval! Apparently smoking has plummeted as a result.
Picturepuncture · 17/05/2013 10:20
The school can and should be taking action here. They are under the schools jurisdiction on way too and from school. Particularly in uniform. You are right it does reflect badly on the school and set a bad example. The school probably won't be successful in stopping them smoking but they should be able to stop them smoking obviously, in public, in uniform around junior age pupils.
Complain to the head.
Madsometimes · 17/05/2013 10:20
Actually smoking is now illegal for under 18's. I agree, call the school. When we were at school, we would have been hauled over for smoking in school uniform. If we attempted it, we would at least have tried to be subtle 
.
Lots of schools now have teachers patrolling the local area before and after school (although poor behaviour is often after school).
Perhaps the school could work with the children on a stopping smoking program if that is needed.
tiggytape · 17/05/2013 10:23
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TigOldBitties · 17/05/2013 10:23
Well yes you could approach the school, and they could say that if pupils are caught smoking outside of school there will be X consequence, but that will also mean that it then needs to be policed.
The school will either be reliant on busybodies members of the public reporting smoking and being able to identify the exact culprits or they will have to enforce some sort of teacher presence outside. Firstly its a resource they may not have or may not want to use in that way. Then comes the issue of how far this presence goes, the kids will just smoke round a corner form where it starts, or if you want them to arrange it so its not near the other schools that sounds like it would need at least a few members of staff, the teachers probably need to be in the school for when the kids arrive so the school will need to find someone else to do it. Its not as simple as you first think.
I went to a school which tried to enforce this, it was never effective. But most recently my DS3s schools has brought this in, it was then scrapped over the summer because kids were obviously smoking but the amount of resources it required was only catching maybe 10% and took staff away from things which were for a much higher percentage of pupils.
Cookethenook · 17/05/2013 10:25
mad it was the same at our school. There were teacher patrols all along the road that the school was on, in the town and at the station. If we were in uniform, we were the school's problem and got bollocked for it (the best punishment was having to go to one of the teachers who had smoked all of her life and she would go 'look at my face! Do you really want to end up looking like me?!' it was surprisingly effective.)
SuffolkNWhat · 17/05/2013 10:26
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HousewifeFromHeaven · 17/05/2013 10:38
I saw a schoolgirl get into a car yesterday, I guess it was her grandad picking her up. They looked so happy, laughing etc and I thought to myself how nice it was.
Then she lit up a fag he gave her!!! Without the windows down!!!
I must admit I was so shocked I laughed 
I haven't smoked in years but certainly remember hanging about the school gates twos upping on a fag with me mates 
tiggytape · 17/05/2013 10:43
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mummytime · 17/05/2013 10:46
The "give up smoking" club is the biggest and most popular at my DCs secondary. If you see it as a problem I would complain to the school. Most schools have an unspoken policy of the sixth formers having a smoking spot out of sight of the school gates (and the teachers having another one even more out of sight).
Bambi86 · 17/05/2013 11:03
Depends really. I work at a secondary school in a deprived area, and a lot of the pupils smoke outside of school. The HT can't do much as the parents just don't care/ support their teenagers re smoking...
Plus if they take off their jumpers and ties, they are not in "uniform" anymore. Or they can just keep their jackets on.
IMO our secondary school had bigger things to worry about - I think we are just grateful that our pupils are on their way to school, regardless wether they are smoking or not...!
Of course different schools will view this issue differently.
KansasCityOctopus · 17/05/2013 11:06
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Startail · 17/05/2013 11:10
I'm in two minds about this.
No they shouldn't be smoking at all and certainly not in plain sight of their school and of primary schools.
However, if school cracks down do you move the problem to more secluded locations. Around here we have had police warnings about older DCs introducing younger ones to alcohol, drugs and sex at the far end of the park.
Personally I hate smoking (it is slowly killing my DDad) and I think I would say something as I hate the younger DCs seeing it as something all teens do.
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