has anyone ever dealt with a lycee that is on the verge of maybe kicking your kid out (6 weeks before the bac and with no proof other than hearsay)?
finding out tomorrow, she is into see the director then. He wouldn't discuss it on the phone... daughter is there in the internat. This has been going on since monday, theres 10 students in 'trouble'. Our daughter has a very good school record, someones parent has complained about cannabis in the lycee and named about 10 students. No proof (daughter never taken cannabis into school either).
Director has even taken her tobacco off her, stopped her free time on weds afternoon, and stopped her even smoking in the designated area (written authorisation was given by me at the start of term).
she is part time at lycee part time on an apprenticeship.
Want to be prepared in case the worse happens....
help!
What caught my attention was the sentance daughter never taken cannabis into school but has had her tobacco confiscated, so does she sloke cannabis outside school? Hope you can get this sorted and she can take her bac, but smoking tobacco or cannabis is a terrible habbit and has major health consequences…
In terms of the bac, I would say that as the school registered her, she is safe, so if you feel it's better for her to leave the school, there should be no problem for her to sit the exam. However, as she is an apprentice, she could lose her position which would probably complicate things. Have you talked to her employer? He/she probably has a lot to say about maintaining her at school, and the director is unlikely to clash with him/her as it would jeopardise future collaboration. Has the director called a "conseil de discipline"? He has to, but might not want to….
For what it's worth, have a look at this link http://www.letudiant.fr/parents/droits-de-leleve-au-college-et-au-lycee-cas-decole-vus-par-une-avocate-15644/_1-17741.html
Hang on in there!!
Is it possible to have your daughter tested for cannabis? I'm not saying that she did it, but maybe proof that she doesn't have it in her system/ hair strands could help back up your case that she is innocent. You said that she has never taken it to school, but you never said if she is known to have it outside of school. If that is the case, and I'm not saying that it is right necessarily, but I could see the school expelling her based on heresay. I would see it as the school's word against your daughter, and as the school has the responsibility of many more kids, if they even suspect that it's a strong possibility, then I could see it being done.
I am not, however, a lawyer! I have no idea of the school's logic process. Would it be possible to have your daughter sit the exams even if she is taken out of her classes? Possibility for her to graduate without attending for the last six weeks?
All schools have a zero-tolerance policy for illegal drugs because consumption of them and dealing are against the law.
Legal drugs like alcohol and tobacco have different but usually stringent rules that don't depend on individual schools but come down from above, even though transgressors are usually dealt with on a case by case basis
Apologies btw for all the typos in my previous post.
I think it would depend on what they are allowed to do legally. Did you sign any "rules" upon entrance to the institution?
My son's school has a zero tolerance policy to drugs and alcohol and whilst some of the kids are 18 and still at school if they are caught with substances on the premises they are immediately asked to leave. Both parents and pupils are made to sign a declaration.
In your daughters case I am presuming they have only taken tobacco off her which I am also presuming is legal and tolerated by the school. (re the permission letter you gave) The issue of drug testing is down to the school themselves and dependant on what you as a parent and your daugher signed on entry. So whilst a blood test would show up cannabis, if it had been used, it doesn't mean it was used on school property. Here again whether they can enforce a test or expulsion based on that would depend on what the country/school laws are.
I suspect at this stage they are following protocol as per the complaint and have to be seen to be taking it seriously. I think they are probably going to see if she will admit anything or failing that will give her a warning. I am confused about why she would have had the tabacco taken off her if she is allowed to smoke at school unless they suspect it is mixed with cannabis or she has infringed her rights by smoking outside the designated areas?
Either way it may be a good time to have a chat with her about being smart about what she does and where. If she only has a few weeks until she graduates it would be really silly to be kicked out at this time.
Try not to stress about it, go and see what they have to say and you can take it from there. Nearly all kids this age have had a drink and smoke with their friends, it's normal teen experiences and unfortunately the society they are growing up in. IMHO, it's the kids that can't tell their parents for fear of over reaction that do get into serious trouble with substance abuse.
There were, until the Charlie Hebdo affair, opportunities for pupils who are smokers to go out and smoke out of the schools ie in a great gaggle in front of school at break etc - well since then the law says there must be no great gaggles in front of public buildings and pupils can no longer go in & out as they wish etc so the lesser of 2 evils is having a designated smoking area for smokers within the grounds. Otherwise if we dont have level 3 of the plan vigipirate in place they go outside (as the teachers do anyway, we go to our special car-park, v inconvenient but we are still obeying the law & who wants to smoke with their pupils anyway).
We also have condom dispensers and parking spaces because the people we are teaching are old enough legally to smoke & have sex & even drive as well, it is arguable that though undesirable it isn't illegal & could even be seen as an infringments of their rights were we not to make some sort of arrangement for them.
I for one can't wait for them to buzz off & go out & not smoke within the grounds but for the moment we have to thole it. Tobacco smoking is one of the least of our worries.
Oh Celeste, what a sad picture and thought!
@ Celeste - at my daughter's lycee kids and teachers smoke outside together and the teachers will give their favourite pupils fags. Mind you, fags aren't the issue here.
The police do regular 15 minute patrols to pick up those who are selling as half the school is regularly to be found sitting on the pavement off their faces. And at the lycee in the next town (which looks like a lovely typical French market down) they are using sniffer dogs as the drug problem is so bad.
It shocked me too - my first teaching job here was in a lycée horticole where almost all the lycéens (and teachers) smoked openly in the playground - so different to the UK where I had been teaching - it's legal so why not. Things may have changed a bit but it's still very different, Celeste, you just get used to it. In my last teaching job I didn't bat an eye to it and found it normal! BTW, you can legally smoke in at 16 (but you have to be 18 to buy tobacco).
Rachel, as Véro says, don't panic, try and get as much info as possible. I wouldn't accept being shrugged off by the directeur on the phone - I'd try again. Courage ! ;-)
she is 18 (just),
she funds her smokes out of her apprentice wage!
How old is she? It makes a difference. Where is the Lycée? Don't panic.