Teachers Smoking Outside

[PlumFairies]

My child completed their GCSEs last summer so started college this year, it’s a special unit for additional needs and students who need to resit English and Maths.
Everyday when we pick them up there are teachers smoking/vaping just outside school premises. I know I am probably being a bit unreasonable here but would it bother you? Personally I think they should be setting a better example to the young teens they are teaching and finding somewhere a bit more discreet to go and smoke. I won’t say anything because I don’t want to be THAT parent but ultimate it does slightly irritate me.

I absolutely hate smoking never done it don't like being around it but if i was doing their job I would be an addict so no it would not bother me

It’s not the smoking/vaping that bothers me, if they want to do that then it’s up to them but why do it right outside the gates in full view of students coming and going? Surely they should be setting an example.

Yeh its not ideal.
Though in my day they had a separate smoking staff room. When the door opened you could see the smoke wafting into the corridor!

Love it

Parents should be srtting examples, i still don't have a problem with it

Somewhere more discreet? Like in a hedge?

Yes I agree with you OP

I didn't particularly rate my DS 's secondary education but the one thing they did really well was their anti smoking education. It had a big impact on my son and taught me a few things I didn't know about the dangers of smoking, particularly as regards smoking weed. If this had been undermined by teachers seen to be be smoking outside the premises it would have totally negated the value of the anti smoking message taught in class. It would have exposed a total hypocrisy.

There have been various threads on MN about the sexual mores of teachers. A lot of MN posters seem to think that morally teachers have no obligation to behave in a responsible and decent way outside school teaching hours. I'm afraid I hold a different view. I expect people who teach our children to lead by example in all aspects of their lives.

Its this really, examples should start from parents, why are teachers smoking/vaping worse than the parents doing it?

Like not right outside the gates.

We do set examples, we are a non smoking household.

Yes they should be setting the right example and it's not acceptable for them to smoke/vape in full view of the students arriving/leaving. I doubt they're allowed to do it anywhere on the school site, which is why they're just outside the gates. Presumably they're doing it in working hours if they're still hanging around so you could make a complaint to the headteacher.

I agree with you OP, and am a teacher.
10 years ago we also had staff who would stand outside the school grounds and smoke, leading to many arguments with sixth formers over us being 2 faced. Fortunately that doesn’t happen at all now, it looks so unprofessional.

I wasn't talking about you specifically, but there are lots of parents out there who do smoke/vape, and do so on the way to the school run.

You will never shield your child from it totally, best thing is education to stop it ever being appealing.

I used to smoke and fully intend to tell my kids how bloody stupid it is

Oh fuck off.

Technically YANBU , because most schools for younger children have rules about staff smoking right outside the premises/gates, so obviously the principle is there. Not sure if that would apply to college as well tbh.

What are the logistics? Are they right outside the gate? Are they out of view from most students and it just happens to be near the unit your child attends? Are they actually a distance away from the school and it just happens to be where you park/the route you take?

It’s a college so 16+ so no head teacher as such and I don’t want my child to have parents known as complainers so I’ll just put up with it and silently rage 😂

Your child is now in further education - I’m afraid he is now out in the world and people don’t need to “set an example”.

Would you expect the same at university?

No they are outside the only entrance/exit at the gates, sometimes they are chatting to students.

No because university students are 18+

I think it’s really unprofessional. It wouldn’t happen in my school.

That feels wrong to me and I am a smoker.

Care to elaborate? Keen to hear all views.

They probably have a ' no smoking on site' policy and get a measly 25 minutes for lunch so no time to go anywhere.

Get a grip.

I did say maybe I was being unreasonable, it just irks me for some reason.