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.

There will be a person that you can complain to. I think that the teachers should set a better example and not smoke outside where they can then have conversations with students.

Nobody thinks that smoking is a good idea (not even smokers) and teachers are adults who have a strong influence over young people so they should find somewhere else to smoke.

It is such a difficult habit to break that the best thing is to never smoke in the first place.

Wouldn't bother me

The college will have a director you could write to but if you'd rather silently rage then nothing will change will it.

I'm a retired headteacher and I know that parents are often worried about being known as 'complainers' but honestly there are sometimes things that need bringing to the HT's attention and I doubt very much your complaint would have a negative impact on your child.

I'm the sort of parent who would walk up to the smoking/vaping teachers and ask them to find somewhere more discreet around the back but if you didn't want to do that or bring attention to yourself, write an anonymous letter to the FE director (not as powerful as one from a named parent) and at least you'd be letting him/her know about it.

I’ve never smoked except for a couple of sneaky ones out of my bedroom window before realising that it was impossible to hide in a non smoking household. And also ruddy stupid.

I also recognise that my username might suggest a sympathy leaning towards the college staff. Suit yourself, I don’t care.

I taught secondary for 16 years, and encountered my fair share of parents that thought I shouldn’t spend my free time in the pub with my friends, some of whom smoked. Some also thought I shouldn’t drive a nice car, as that must mean I was being paid too much. Or maybe, it meant I inherited some money when my grandad died.

However I might abhor smoking, those staff members are not breaking any laws. It is the role of parents/carers to impress on the young people they are responsible for how unwise smoking OR vaping is.

Those staff members have no moral obligation to their students other than to teach to their curricula so that their students achieve their full potential.

Until a law is broken, the college staff’s off site activities are not for scrutiny. And when push comes to shove, it is no longer legal for a person aged 16 or 17 to smoke, regardless of their influences.

Are you from a smoking/vaping household? Be interesting to see if the people have no issue are smokers themselves.

Nah , I think if you can see employees smoking anywhere then it's probably down to lack of facilities and limited break time. I too believe that teachers are allowed their foibles like any parents would be - teaching is a job/career whereas parenting is a whole life choice.

@PlumFairies

I'm with you! I am viciously anti-smoking.

I really couldn't care less. When I was at sixth form we had a smoking and non-smoking common room and everyone was in the smoking one.

I have never smoked and hate it. Dh has never smoked either.
However seeing teachers smoked would not bother me in slightest.
If I'm reading this right, these are teachers at college, not a primary school.
Definitely wouldn't bother me at all.

Totally agree with you. I'm a teacher and would be appalled if a member of staff was smoking in view of the students. Surely that can wait until they're well away from the school area.

I remember when there used to be smoking staff rooms...

Yes school leavers.
Maybe because everywhere I have ever worked (not educational) has forbidden smoking on or in front of the premises my judgement is off 🤷‍♀️

A few lazy heffers do it outside our school. Not sure how they get away with it.

Love the idea that teachers doing something makes it look cool.

It’s not a secret that teenagers can be influenced by their elders.

YABU. I hate smoking, but it’s unhealthy, not immoral.

They are far more likely to be influenced by their peers. The ones that spend all their time vaping in the toilets.

But what exactly would I say? As said above they aren’t breaking any rules.

My parents were heavy smokers. My dad quit cold turkey during covid and my mum has vaped for over a decade. Still wouldn't bother me....primary school different opinion.

How would you feel about taking children for a pub lunch and seeing people drinking alcohol?

There's already a massive shortfall in teachers and support staff. Yet you want to reduce the supply even more?

Let's have a list of things that would preclude a person from working in a school going by previous MN threads;

No smoking or vaping in their own, unpaid, time?
No drinking in their own time?
No eating whatever is deemed to be imperfect or more than adequate food? So no functioning on two and a half cold coffees and half a sandwich?
No eating at their desk?
No being seen to eat at all?
No bitten nails from stress/no nail polish or acrylics or nails longer than finger tip length?
No having sex outside marriage or for entertainment purposes?
No unmarried pregnancy?
No socialising in their own time?
No hobbies that aren't solitary needlepoint by candlelight?
No driving a vehicle that's too nice?
No catching a bus as that shows they aren't successful adults?
No saying rude words or laughing too loud when - gasp - socialising?
No looking less than physically perfect?
No wearing clothes that aren't a tailored skirt suit with heeled court shoes and either dyeing any grey hair or not dyeing hair?
No wearing trousers?
No cheap clothes and shoes?
No expensive clothes and shoes?
No jewellery?
No makeup/always wearing makeup?
Males always wearing a full suit?
No music on in the car as they're driving?
No dating?
No buying shopping in the supermarket near to where they live?
Automatic dismissal at the point of separation, divorce or a pregnancy beginning to show, as that would mean she'd had SEX?

I've always figured that as I'm never going to be seen as an example for kids to want to emulate, I might as well function as a dire warning.

Your post doesn't make any sense.

As a teacher, I agree with you. Totally unprofessional and inappropriate to smoke outside the school gate.

Oh, well. I've never thought that threads criticising school staff for their weight, their clothes, their eating, their social lives, their hobbies or anything else they do because they are fully grown adults living in the 21st Century and not twelve year olds made any sense, either.

Deffo no swinging at the weekends