Schools and Drug Problems and Codes of Conduct

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no_ball

Schools and Drug Problems and Codes of Conduct

Post by no_ball »

Can anyone advise the strongest and weakest disciplined schools (indie and/or state sector) when it comes to drugs and students being caught either when using or buying/selling. KES has a zero tolerance policy for instance.

We have the 1 DC and have no experience when it comes to this matter. No doubt it happens, this is not the point of the note; just about school discipline. I have heard for instance a certain indie school in School may take on pupils that have been expelled from other schools when caught using drugs on site (cant confirm or deny).
hermanmunster
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Re: Schools and Drug Problems and Codes of Conduct

Post by hermanmunster »

there are always schools somewhere that will take kids.. only have to read some of the tabloids!
fm

Re: Schools and Drug Problems and Codes of Conduct

Post by fm »

Having zero tolerance to drugs does not mean drugs are not present in the school. It just means that the children have to be that much more careful to conceal their activities. Most of the drug-taking will be done outside school hours when school would have no control over it at all.

It will certainly not be the deciding factor as to what any particular child will do and say when he is offered drugs, which many children will be by year 9 or 10 if they mix with the general population at school. That will be down to a myriad of things such as personality, confidence, attraction to risk, happiness at home and level of pressure they feel under.

It could be argued that if you have any real fear that your particular child might succumb to temptation, then you would be better choosing a school which has more tolerance to someone caught using(as opposed to selling) and helps to address the issue rather than dump it on someone else's doorstep.
no_ball

Re: Schools and Drug Problems and Codes of Conduct

Post by no_ball »

its not DC succumbing to temptation, it's the very existence of that temptation itself that is the issue. I am weary of this being an eleven plus exam forum, maybe the discussion of drugs at secondary school may not sit comfortably here for some.
hermanmunster
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Re: Schools and Drug Problems and Codes of Conduct

Post by hermanmunster »

I think the most important thing to remember is that drugs, likely bullies are in all schools. if a school tells you that there aren't any problems - they either haven't noyticed or are lying
daughter
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Re: Schools and Drug Problems and Codes of Conduct

Post by daughter »

OP - with regard to intial comment about a certain Indie taking students expelled for drug related issues from another ... I think this in itself should not worry you. Expelled pupils are taken on by other schools in both sectors. Not to do so would be pretty awful imho. I believe the zero tolerance policy that many schools have is essential - equally the fact that they show that they act upon it (expulsion). The student should then have the opportunity to if not exactly start afresh at least start again. Schools do "speak" to each other about such pupils and I think with perhaps extra supervision (I know some schools do implement drug testing) and the right pastoral care that any school taking on such students should be commended and not condemened, (likewise the expellor - sticking to their zero tolernace guns).
fm

Re: Schools and Drug Problems and Codes of Conduct

Post by fm »

its not DC succumbing to temptation, it's the very existence of that temptation itself that is the issue. I am weary of this being an eleven plus exam forum, maybe the discussion of drugs at secondary school may not sit comfortably here for some.

I have no problem discussing drugs. I was just trying to say your son will encounter them whichever school he attends and, as Herman says, any school which claims to be on top of the problem is naive at best.

My eldest attended Five Ways where drugs were (and probably still are) available with relative easy. No idea if she succumbed at any stage...Possibly...Probably...Maybe her openess with me about it was a double bluff to make me think she was disdainful of the whole thing. At any rate, the users ranged from the boys whose home lives were falling apart and who had completely lost their way to the high fliers who dabbled in moderation before eventually jetting off to Bristol, Durham and Cambridge to probably dabble there while securing their firsts.

What I did learn along the way is to make no assumptions about which children are doing what.

My middle one went to a boys comprehensive where drugs were not so prevalent. I remember him claiming that it was a much bigger problem at Camp Hill Boys and indeed on year 10 they were joined by some boy who had been expelled from the grammar school for selling which is what I meant by explusion simply making it someone else's problem.

My youngest goes to Camp Hill Girls where it also seems to be available and, while the school are giving very honest and sound advice, there seems to be some mixed messages coming from parents.

All that said, I believe the percentage of children taking drugs on a regular basis is not great. There are many, many children who go to grammars, independents and comprehensives who never mix in social situations where they are likely to be offered drugs (I would put this at a fairly high percentage at the Camp Hills) or who are perfectly able to say no to them.

What I have certainly learned over the years is that parents do not thank you for warning them their child may be dabbling. It is very much a case of 'shooting the messenger'.
mike1880
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Re: Schools and Drug Problems and Codes of Conduct

Post by mike1880 »

I agree; drugs are available everywhere in society to those who want them and they're probably available at just about any school. That was already more or less true more than 30 years ago when I was at school. The "better" the school, the more readily available drugs are likely to be because the children of the wealthy are best able to afford them. Your child's response to the situation is more important than the school's.

Mike
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