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?

When I worked in a medical research facility people weren't allowed to smoke in front of the building where passers-by could see, as it made a bad impression given our work.

I'd expect schools to have the same condition for staff in their contracts.

Unfortunately liffey my car is about 1 mile away from school as blinking sixth formers who have all been bought cars for getting their GCSE's/AS's take up all parking spaces at school so by the time i will have got to my car break (all 10 minutes) will be over

sorry should have read - car, break etc etc

Liffey - I'm totally with you on all your posts. The problem is, shagging would be illegal outside the school gates - I'm not so sure about drinking in the street or swearing.(Maybe somebody could advise me on the law here)

There is a time and a place for everything.

Imediately outside the school gates at the start or end of school, just isn't the time and place for a teacher to have a cigarette.

No, it is not a good idea to smoke in view of the pupils. We agree on that. It is your assumptions as to the ability of this teacher to do his or her job and your assumptions of how little effort this teacher is prepared to put into his/her job that are ludicrous.

ah but Lynette when does a teachers day begin and end? Some may say 8.30-3.30 - i would say for most of my full time colleagues 7.30-5 and then prob 8-10 in the evenings is more realistic.

teachers should be allowed to smoke on whatever break they want

After all it is exactly that - a break from classroom responsibilities etc

"If they were inclined to just inconvenience themselves EVER so slightly by waiting 'til they got to their car, then the pupils wouldn't see."

They could see them smoking in the cars depending on what time they left or arrived. No doubt that would infuriate the OP too.

I go the to a public gym and you would be amazed at the number of overweight staff employed. What example does that set? Should they even be employed in the health industry if they are not deemed to be a healthy weight and size?

This is where we are heading with the gestapo mentality advocated by the zealots.

I don't believe in smoking. I'm glad buildings are now smoke free. However, I will not dictate what someone should do in their own time and outside their place of employment. If schools do not want teachers smoking outside the gates, they should implement the policy. If they have not implemented the policy, then the same teachers should not be pilliored or made to feel like pariahs by over-zealous, santimonious bullies who have nothing better to do with their dull lives.

YABU

What spokette said in last post.

Spokette, you should have own column in the daily mail!

except she would have the opposite viewpoint. SO not really a daily mail columnist

thats exactly what i was thinking!(agree poinsetty)

I'm also with you on this one Liffey.

Stillenact, you say you don't smoke in front of your parents out of respect for them, surely your pupils deserve the same.

Not necessarily the opposite viewpoint. The DM would talk about smokers being hounded, the smoking-police and nanny-state. Just do a quick search. Anyway, was thinking more of presentation style and incoherent argument.

Spokette, can you differentiate between an adult who chooses to pay to use a gym, and a child who must attend school???

The two are entirely different.

In fact, smoking and over-eating are entirely different, as we must all eat something, so it is more difficult for some people to correctly judge how much is too much.

I believe you would argue day is night on this issue, when really in your heart of hearts you must know that in a perfect world teachers wouldn't smoke right outside the SCHOOL GATES in front of their pupils.

But you just can't even grudgingly admit that this much is true!! So you're dragging other issues in, such policing teachers' HOME lives , that was never the issue, and accusing posters of being sanctimonious bullies. A great way to argue!!

"Anyway, was thinking more of presentation style and incoherent argument."

Well excuse me FM, I did not realise that MN was solely for the Pulitzer type posters.

My parents are my parents - my pupils are somebody elses children

Err no i don't class them as equally deserving of my respect - i think they should respect me (and i tell you something they all do!)

(1) Smokers are being hounded.

(2) UK is moving towards a police state.

None of it observations exclusively voiced by DM. If DM says these things, which are true, then it might be a case of a broken clock telling correct time twice a day.

Oh and:

(3) OP is aspiring to be "smoking police".

Get. A. Grip!

A teacher SMOKING? SHOOT HER!! Obviously all the children are going to start lighting up and smoking... oh wait, that's bollocks.

Coming from a primary school teacher - we smoke! Deal with it.

oh not smoking teachers. They should be sacked. SO not daily mail at all.

CoteDazur

When the Gestapo finish with the smokers, they will start on the overweight.

And do you as a teacher think you get respect from parents if you smoke outside the school gates in front of the children and their parents? Luckily I have never seen any of the teachers at our school smoke and I cannot think this is a major problem. There must be a small handful of teachers only who think this appropriate.

"over-zealous, santimonious bullies who have nothing better to do with their dull lives..."??

I think you lose your place in a debate (which is what I think this is a good chance to do) when you start being offensive and presumptuous about the people who are dis-agreeing with you, or, trying to champion a different side of the debate.

Although I clearly have got up your nose, I am neither zealous (in fact on most things I am very middle ground), or a bully, and I don't think my life is dull, far from it. I simply wish for a good example from teachers where smoking is concerned. Parenting is hard enough and having support from school on certain issues can really help.

I have a close friend and two SIL's who are teachers. One of them smokes, one used to, none would dream of doing it in front of their pupils. Anyway, this is just getting to slanging now, so I'll be off for a fag.

Gestapo!?

So I'm not entitled to an opinion?? It's nothing to do with legislation ffs, you're so defensive.

Actually, I can't be bothered with this, you can't reason with some people. I think smoking outside the school gates in full view of pupils is a GREAT idea.

I think if the smoker-teachers do it then it really shows an all-round great attitude towards their job and their pupils. Obviously their priorities are absolutely correct. they quite rightly put their rights as smokers above the well-being of impressionable children. bravo! smoking outside the schoolgates! fantastic idea!

I have plenty of respect from the parents. Last week we put on a concert involving 350 children and an audience of 700. I was there chatting to parents for over an hour after it finished with them all telling me how amazing it is...how they don't know how we do it...her their DC's love my lessons and that my husband (works with me) and I are an inspiration...that says it all to me

Thats what i care about - inspiring their children to have a love and passion for my subject