To be furious to see one of dd's teachers smoking outside the school gates in full view of school-children arriving

[pcworld]

I appreciate that it is a free country and people have the right to smoke. The teacher in question is not smoking within the school grounds. However ... surely there must be somewhere else for school staff to smoke that is out of view of the children? I am very upset about this! What do others think? I'm unsure how to handle it. I would like to say something to the head - along the lines of suggesting that an appropriate place is provided for staff to smoke in. And at the same time praising the teachers, who we have been really pleased with. Any comments?

YABU, that's my comment.

at least it wasn't an 8 year old child like I saw smoking on school grounds this morning

It's a bit unprofessional, but I think YABU to take it to the Head.
All schools are smoke-free sites, and it must be hard for smokers to find somewhere to go.
(I'm not a smoker BTW, but I am a teacher)

I'm not a smoker, either.

Probably isn't allowed anywhere in the school grounds.

YABU

YABU, it's not like your children won't ever see people smoking. People in the street, strangers who you don't know etc.

BTW I'm not a smoker.

I understand your point. Kids look upto teachers etc but I don't see what could be done about it tbh. She was presumedly on her break and outside of school property so its upto her if she smokes or not.

To be honest my primary school aged dss are v judgemental about smoking anyway, on seeing a friend of mine smoking in the garden ds3 said

" ooh mummy, come quickly, X is SMOKING! Does she realise how bad it is for her health?"

So I think the teacher in question might get quite a grilling!

yanbu, it sets a bad example from someone the children probably look up to.

Message deleted

YANBU, and I would mention it. Especially if they are part of the "healthy schools" scheme. I don't even like seeing parents having a fag outside the gate at hometime TBH, in front of all the toddlers,but I can't do anything about that!

do you just object that it was in sight of the kids, or do you object to teachers smoking? (ie would you be upset seeing him/her smoking in the town centre etc)

It's probably not ideal for teachers to smoke in view of their pupils but there's probably not a lot you can do. Like you said it is a free country.
It would be better for a smoking area to be provided for staff that is out of pupils view but probably isnt high on the list of priorities at the school.
What exactly bothers you about it? The exposure to the smoke? The bad example?
Children are always going to be exposed to it to some degree.

It may well be a bad example coming from someone who the children look up to but going to speak to the head about it is IMO OTT.

Now if it was Father Christmas who was smoking.........

something would have to be done.

yabu.

It's not illegal. What exactly is it you're going to complain about?

I'm not a smoker either btw and think it's a vile habbit, but you can't protect your children from it.

lol andlipstictpp

Unless she was offering it to your child or setting fire to their coats willy nilly then YABU.

I don't like smoking and it isn't a good example, but she's a grown up and free to do as she chooses.

YANBU.

Cant she spoke out of sight. Children are impressionable.

Although maybe a teacher smoking makes it very uncool. Its still a risk though.

By the way I think most people on here will say YABU.

Teachers are seen as role models to the children and are not supposed to smoke anywhere where they can be seen by children.

So you're not being unreasonable no, so long as she wasn't puffing in the street as you walked past with your child? I take it this was just outside school?

YABU it's none of your business

It'll be the policy that there's no smoking on school grounds. I remember going into the staff room at my school and walking into a fug of smoke. It didn't make me want to smoke. If I were her I'd worry about my professional image, but she is perfectly entitled to smoke if she wants to so YABU.

dd1 saw FC drinking in a pub near town and he had took off his beard! she wasn't impressed. I think it was just some one dressed up on a works day/night out. I told her it was his day off

People smoke in the street.

They swear in the street.

They're openly drunk in the street.

In a village this size, we encounter teachers in the street all the time.

Children are exposed to people doing vile things all the time.

Far better to educate them about how nasty smoking is than go after someone who is doing something perfectly legal.

YABU, the teacher wasn't on school grounds, so is entitled to smoke.

Hi Mayorquimby