Schoolkids banned from local supermarket

Quite simple …schools should not allow students to leave at lunchtime with exception of sixth form who one hopes have learnt how to behave.
Oh dear I do sound a bit po faced.

Whilst I have sympathy for those parents complaining on behalf of their "well behaved" children, when did it become the norm for everything to be aimed at the convenience and "rights" of children?

I disagree with blaming the heads of school and teachers - good behaviour should be taught at home. We have all seen children running around shops, supermarkets, restaurants and cafes annoying everyone whilst being ignored by parents. I have even seen children taking toys from shelves, opening the packaging, playing with the toy and then discarding it on the floor - all the while the parent standing by engrossed in their phone!

When I was at school we were not allowed eat on the street while wearing our school uniform. None of our parents had an issue with it!

Is this not just an example of societal norms evolving? I really don’t remember anybody eating in the street when I was a child. Telling a child not to eat in the streets wasn’t seen as odd, because eating in the streets wasn’t done. Most parents now grew up when eating in the streets was normal. It’s not viewed as poor manners anymore. They would naturally question why their children couldn’t eat in the streets, because they’ve never believed it was inappropriate.
Much the same as my parents never thought it odd that, no matter how cold it was, I wasn’t allowed to wear trousers to school. Nowadays parents would rightly object if schools tried to force their daughters to wear skirts.

Where I live the super market car park is used by parents as a drop off and pick up point ,You have to time your visit to get a park.
I agree about badly behaved children but it's not just teenagers. I saw a mother with three children in her trolley she could barely push it, when approached she gave out a mouth full of abuse. I have also been verbally attacked myself for parking too close to a car . I was dead centre of the parking bay but the mother had what amounted to a

“Is this not just an example of societal norms evolving?”

One would would hope the aim was to improve societies norms, no become a free for all.

Lucca

Quite simple …schools should not allow students to leave at lunchtime with exception of sixth form who one hopes have learnt how to behave.
Oh dear I do sound a bit po faced.

Those were exactly the rules when I was at school Oh how we loved to saunter off site once in the sixth form even though there was actually nowhere to go, not a single shop nearby ?

A very difficult, inner city school I worked at once, had the police come in. We had an assembly and the head policeman of the group eyed the students, listed the things that had been going on (firework petrol bombs, I kid you not) and said, 'We have you on CCTV. I see some of you here. We WILL be knocking on your doors.'

I was horrified. I didn't live in the area, just worked there. They were lovely children, in school.

Teenagers have always messed around and been a handful

Wow! I had no idea the situation was so bad in supermarkets as I don't tend to be there when school's out. I was once nearly knocked over by a boy riding his scooter round the aisles of the small local Co op, and the staff did nothing to prevent him. I knew the Headmaster, a strict disciplinarian, and said I was sure he would be interested to hear about it; the boy dismounted immediately and apologised.

Schools by and large seem to be imposing discipline successfully within school hours, but cannot police their pupils outside school hours, and so many parents simply cannot be bothered. But of course defying school rules openly by taking children out of school without permission has nothing to do with it.

For those who think they should not be banned - While they are wearing their uniform, they are identifiable as pupils at a certain school. If you imagine a hundred nurses in the distinctive colours of the local hospital elbowing other shoppers out of the way, a hundred police arriving in squad cars with sirens blazing and parking them sideways over the disabled spaces, a hundred lollipop men complete with lollipops ready to batter a path to the front of the queue, or a hundred yellow-jacketed Council litterpickers with sacks that they filled with goods and carried straight out without paying, all repeated every day while other customers stayed away would you be surprised if the supermarket sent an ultimatum to their bosses, threatening to ban their employees if it continued, and carried out their threat?

Or do you really think that the supermarket should ignore the aggression, theft and anarchy and continue to lose money from both shoplifting and loss of other customers? Or that young thugs in the making should learn they don't have to face the consequences of their actions and the annoyance of thei peers?

JaneJudge

Teenagers have always messed around and been a handful

And learnt that others wouldn't tolerate it. Part of gradually morphing into civilised beings.

Children “will get away” with whatever they are allowed to get away with. Parents school and society in general, could and should do much more to promote good behavior, including parent own behavior.

SpanielNanny

*When I was at school we were not allowed eat on the street while wearing our school uniform. None of our parents had an issue with it!*

Is this not just an example of societal norms evolving? I really don’t remember anybody eating in the street when I was a child. Telling a child not to eat in the streets wasn’t seen as odd, because eating in the streets wasn’t done. Most parents now grew up when eating in the streets was normal. It’s not viewed as poor manners anymore. They would naturally question why their children couldn’t eat in the streets, because they’ve never believed it was inappropriate.
Much the same as my parents never thought it odd that, no matter how cold it was, I wasn’t allowed to wear trousers to school. Nowadays parents would rightly object if schools tried to force their daughters to wear skirts.

Lots of people ate on the street in the 70s when I was at school. Not burgers and pizza slices admittedly, but sweets, chocolate and crisps. However our school said 'not while in uniform' and no one questioned it.

JaneJudge

Teenagers have always messed around and been a handful

True. I think parents have changed a lot though in how they support schools etc trying to deal with it.

We had to put a ban on kid from our local school 25 years ago,we had a mini-lab and camera shop on the high street and they would come in by the dozen at lunchtime .One would have a film to be processed and the others just took up all the space .It wasn' so bad if there were a few of us on the shop floor but sometimes we were down to one or two members of staff .Try asking teenagers to leave without being verbally abused!
On one of these days we lost over £2000 worth of cameras from a showcase .Of course our insurance wouldn't pay up because we had insufficient staff to control the horde even though the lock had clearly been tampered with .Upshot was no unaccompanied kids of any school allowed in .There was an article about us in the local paper about us demonising innocent children ,didn't change our minds though .

Have I missed something in this discussion? Where is the input from the school? Surely there would have been a discussion twixt supermarket and school?

The behaviour described by the original poster is unacceptable anywhere and if the children are allowed to carry on they will assume that it is the norm. 'Yobby' children will become 'yobby' adults.

The school needs to make a stand to show how people should behave. Yes, I was once a silly teenager and well remember doing some daft things but would never have dared bring my school into disrepute. I would have quaked if I had been spotted by a prefect or staff member if behaving so badly.

Not too far from my house is a school who now frequently has two police officers standing at bus stops by the school at the end of the school day. Why is this bad behaviour condoned by everyone? I genuinely do not understand why standards have dropped so much (and I know I sound old but surely polite behaviour will help these youngsters with their futures)? The school I mentioned above used to have a high reputation but in recent years behaviour has changed alarmingly.

It is people such as the elderly lady who was pushed over in the OP's post who has paid the price. Bad behaviour can be stopped with a commitment from the school.

I would contact the school and ask for contact details of the Chair of Governors (carbon copy the Head Teacher) and follow through to a meeting with him/her and ask what is going to be done about their pupils' poor behaviour. It is affecting the children, the school, the supermarket and the general public, too nervous to shop at certain times.

If parents of these children are unhappy, they should police the situation themselves.

This situation can be changed but not overnight and will take commitment from everyone concerned. Good luck!

Another school I worked at stationed a member of staff on the front door of Greggs. To stop the students getting in and causing mayhem. Greggs was banned for them, but they used it anyway. So a big PE teacher stood there all lunchtime and turned them away.

Hope he got a free pie for his troubles!

I like their vegetable slices. You used to be able to get them from iceland but I've not seen them listed on their website for ages

Beswitched, I have a teenager, he is spoken to about any unsavoury behaviour. We aren't all the same

Candelle

Have I missed something in this discussion? Where is the input from the school? Surely there would have been a discussion twixt supermarket and school?

The behaviour described by the original poster is unacceptable anywhere and if the children are allowed to carry on they will assume that it is the norm. 'Yobby' children will become 'yobby' adults.

The school needs to make a stand to show how people should behave. Yes, I was once a silly teenager and well remember doing some daft things but would never have dared bring my school into disrepute. I would have quaked if I had been spotted by a prefect or staff member if behaving so badly.

Not too far from my house is a school who now frequently has two police officers standing at bus stops by the school at the end of the school day. Why is this bad behaviour condoned by everyone? I genuinely do not understand why standards have dropped so much (and I know I sound old but surely polite behaviour will help these youngsters with their futures)? The school I mentioned above used to have a high reputation but in recent years behaviour has changed alarmingly.

It is people such as the elderly lady who was pushed over in the OP's post who has paid the price. Bad behaviour can be stopped with a commitment from the school.

I would contact the school and ask for contact details of the Chair of Governors (carbon copy the Head Teacher) and follow through to a meeting with him/her and ask what is going to be done about their pupils' poor behaviour. It is affecting the children, the school, the supermarket and the general public, too nervous to shop at certain times.

If parents of these children are unhappy, they should police the situation themselves.

This situation can be changed but not overnight and will take commitment from everyone concerned. Good luck!

Surely it isn't down to just the school to teach good manners and behaviour - this should be taught at home BEFORE they start school.

Time the schools started to step up and take some responsibility. It can be done - my nephew’s secondary school had a dreadful reputation a couple of years ago and now encourages local businesses to report any bad behaviour from students and to provide photo/cctv footage where it’s available. There’s a naming and shaming policy and there are various punishments. The parents are always involved too, so they can’t say they’re not aware of what their kids are up to. Time was, bad behaviour was a reflection on the parents and the reputation of the school itself. How times have changed.

Surely it isn't down to just the school to teach good manners and behaviour - this should be taught at home BEFORE they start school.
Should be yes. And maybe this is taught at home. But when a large group get together you know their behaviour changes. Children and teens become a 'mob' and they don't think as individuals. If some are behaving badly it can affect the whole group, some will go along with it just because they are in a group. They will always do what they can get away with. It is mostly down to what boundaries have been established by the school and the shop regarding behaviour.

JaneJudge

I like their vegetable slices. You used to be able to get them from iceland but I've not seen them listed on their website for ages

Beswitched, I have a teenager, he is spoken to about any unsavoury behaviour. We aren't all the same

No apologies I don't mean all parents. But an increasing number seem to be more concerned about their children's rights and entitlements than about how they behave towards other. That significant minority are making it very difficult for schools to maintain discipline.

There should be a statutory standard of behavior from nursery onwards and parents should be directly involved if behavior falls below standard. If needed parents should receive remediation if they fall below standard.

Will it happen - not a chance.

Elegran

SpanielNanny the children who behave themselves in supermarkets (and elsewhere) will be very well aware of which of their classmates have caused the whole school to be banned. They know just who are the second-class citizens, and it isn't them, it is those who acted like selfish thieving bullies. That will have been reinforced by the talk that has doubtless been given them by their teachers, on how the school is judged by the actions of the lowest common denominator. Letters home to every parent (posted, not handed to the offending miscreants to deliver safely) should explain the situation and get the parents onside.

But the well behaved are still being treated as second class by being unable to go where they could before.

What a lowly opinion you have of school children

Beswitched

JaneJudge

I like their vegetable slices. You used to be able to get them from iceland but I've not seen them listed on their website for ages

Beswitched, I have a teenager, he is spoken to about any unsavoury behaviour. We aren't all the same

No apologies I don't mean all parents. But an increasing number seem to be more concerned about their children's rights and entitlements than about how they behave towards other. That significant minority are making it very difficult for schools to maintain discipline.

I do agree but I think this emphasis on rights and entitlement is present throughout society. It's seen as reactionary to think that every right comes with a corresponding responsibility, but if everybody embraced that principle it would be more enjoyable for all.