Absolutely disgraceful!

Pupils aged 11 allowed to smoke in playground ‘to stop truanting’
By Aidan Radnedge Thursday 17 Oct 2013 10:08 pm
1801

Pupils were allowed to smoke in the playground (Picture: PA)
Children as young as 11 have been allowed to smoke in the playground, with teachers even handing them cigarettes, it has emerged.

Pupils were permitted to light up on school grounds during break times in a bid to discourage truanting.

But they have now been banned from doing so and the school has been put under investigation.

Anti-smoking charity Ash condemned the policy as ‘totally inappropriate and unethical’.

Chief executive Deborah Arnott said: ‘Allowing children to smoke at school is wrong in so many ways. They wouldn’t allow the children to drink, so why are they allowing them to smoke?’


Elmete Central School has been put under investigation (Picture: elmetecentralschool.co.uk)
The ‘soft on smoking’ approach taken at Elmete Central School in Roundhay, Leeds, came to light after a whistleblower went public.

The secondary, attended by 75 pupils with educational and behavioural issues, allowed students access to cigarettes during the morning break and at lunchtime. It is thought the measure was put in place by the previous head teacher to accommodate children who were failing to attend school.

But the city council ordered the new head to ban the policy and threatened to carry out regular spot checks, while government officials urged all schools not to tolerate smoking.

Paul Brennan, deputy director of children’s services, said: ‘We take this issue very seriously and as soon as it was brought to our attention we spoke to the school and issued an instruction for it to stop.

‘The recently appointed head teacher has agreed to review any such practices.’

The Department of Health said: ‘Our position is quite clear on what the legal age for smoking is.’

It was allowed in my school too. As long as you smoked in the unofficial smoking area. Truth is, kids are pricks and there's not much teachers can do these days.


Good parenting is where it's at, trouble is these kids will probably be parents themselves in a few years.

let them I say dont blame the teachers blame the scum who are manufacturing cigarettes kids are gonna smoke because its cool at 11 years old.

Id much rather my son or daughter in school grounds than out on the mitch, getting stoned in the woods smoking bongs as we did. hanging around with kids who arent even going to school,
or getting abducted by nonses or run over.

^ haaahahaha brilliant !!!

let them smoke woodbines or capstan full strength.......sweet lord

I think the best thing to do is not to bother trying to police or protect our kids. In fact lets not bother policing anything, lets just let everyone do exactly what they want. Im sure we will save loads in tax and everything will work out great in the end.

It just sounds like a cop out to me, and stinks of not being bothered to properly address the situation.You cannot condone smoking just to stop kids truanting, you should be pushing the police to be looking for their suppliers and trying to better educate them for starters. Cigarettes should be confiscated and the kids should be educated not condoned. If the parents don't help stop the truanting punish them.

I think the best thing to do is not to bother trying to police or protect our kids. In fact lets not bother policing anything, lets just let everyone do exactly what they want. Im sure we will save loads in tax and everything will work out great in the end.

It just sounds like a cop out to me, and stinks of not being bothered to properly address the situation.You cannot condone smoking just to stop kids truanting, you should be pushing the police to be looking for their suppliers and trying to better educate them for starters. Cigarettes should be confiscated and the kids should be educated not condoned. If the parents don't help stop the truanting punish them.

Personally I think Cigarettes are a monstrosity...

It just shows how stupid we are as people, if someone tells us to inhale smoke into our lungs via tv advertisement because its the in thing, and harry from the neville is doing it we all follow like sheep.
because we in human nature have a fear of loss or a need to be like the popular peers - this stems from a young age.

why would anyone breath smoke into their lungs? spend 10,000 pound in 5 years (thats just 20 fags a day)
especially anyone poor or on benifits it makes me chuckle when they realise they could of had 10k in their pockets

what exactly has it got us in life? other than lung cancer or bad cardio fitness levels.

I think the best thing to do is not to bother trying to police or protect our kids. In fact lets not bother policing anything, lets just let everyone do exactly what they want. Im sure we will save loads in tax and everything will work out great in the end.

It just sounds like a cop out to me, and stinks of not being bothered to properly address the situation.You cannot condone smoking just to stop kids truanting, you should be pushing the police to be looking for their suppliers and trying to better educate them for starters. Cigarettes should be confiscated and the kids should be educated not condoned. If the parents don't help stop the truanting punish them.

Personally I think Cigarettes are a monstrosity...

It just shows how stupid we are as people, if someone tells us to inhale smoke into our lungs via tv advertisement because its the in thing, and harry from the neville is doing it we all follow like sheep.
because we in human nature have a fear of loss or a need to be like the popular peers - this stems from a young age.

why would anyone breath smoke into their lungs? spend 10,000 pound in 5 years (thats just 20 fags a day)
especially anyone poor or on benifits it makes me chuckle when they realise they could of had 10k in their pockets

what exactly has it got us in life? other than lung cancer or bad cardio fitness levels.

Cigarettes are the epitome of everything that is wrong with us as human beings and children need protecting from them to break the chain!