How do teachers prepare class trips with regard to cannabis?

Incidents on a class trip cannot be ruled out. They can, however, be prepared for: with written rules, informed accompanying staff and parents, and a fixed procedure for emergencies. The specialist site cannabispraevention.de calls for an addiction-prevention concept for class trips and excursions, and names consumption on a class trip as a situation in which parents must be informed immediately. The Consumer Cannabis Act (KCanG) provides the legal framework that all accompanying staff should know.

The legal framework for accompanying staff

Cannabis may not be consumed in the immediate presence of persons under 18 (section 5(1) KCanG). This rule also applies to accompanying staff, that is, teachers and external supervisors. Possession is permitted only from age 18, and then within a limit of 25 grams (section 3(1) KCanG); this permission does not apply to pupils under 18. Giving away and passing on cannabis is a criminal offence (section 34 KCanG). These rules belong in every preparatory briefing before the trip begins.

Setting rules in writing

Put the rules for the trip into a short written document. It should state clearly what is permitted and what is not, and which consequences a breach has under the school regulations. The school regulations are the basis for all rules at the school. According to cannabispraevention.de, schools can in these regulations also forbid adult pupils from bringing substances along, and the rules must apply to the whole school. The article How do you formulate school rules on cannabis? explains how cannabis rules can be anchored there.

Involving accompanying staff

All accompanying staff should know the rules before the trip begins. This also applies to external supervisors, because they need the same information as the teachers. A short briefing before departure is often enough to clear up uncertainties. If cannabis is used on the trip, carried drugs are discovered, or drugs are dealt (handing over in exchange for payment or a service), parents must be informed immediately according to the specialist site. This rule should be known to everyone in advance. Anyone who accompanies youth trips will find further answers in the article May supervisors consume cannabis on youth trips?.

Informing parents in good time

Parents should know the rules of the trip before the children leave. A letter to parents with the most important points creates transparency. It should be worded factually and should not cause panic. Its content includes the reference to the consumption ban in the presence of minors, the rule on passing on, and the contact persons during the trip. The article May you smoke cannabis in the presence of minors? also explains the rule on the presence of minors.

Preparing for incidents

Despite good planning, an incident can happen. A procedure is needed for this. Note who is informed, who stands in for the school management and which local body can be reached. The article How does a school proceed after an incident? describes the steps. It is important that the pupil concerned is not left alone. A telephone list with the numbers of all accompanying staff belongs to this, and the school management should know it.

Prevention during the trip

Conversations about health belong on the trip as well. According to cannabispraevention.de, the risks for young people are particularly high. A short exchange about peer pressure and personal limits is therefore a sensible part of preparation. An accompanying person can start the conversation without lecturing. Anyone who feels unsure about a topic takes the question into the follow-up discussion. Questions should be asked openly so that young people can answer without fear of punishment.

Timeline for preparation

Planning takes time. A realistic schedule begins several months before the trip. First the aims and framework are set, then the rules and accompanying staff, followed by informing the parents. In the last week before departure there is a short coordination with all accompanying staff, at which the school's telephone numbers and the local contact persons are checked once more.

1. Set aims, location and programme.
2. Write the rules for the trip down in writing.
3. Brief the accompanying staff and allocate responsibilities.
4. Inform the parents and clarify any questions.
5. Check the emergency contacts shortly before departure.

Group rules in everyday life on the trip

Everyday life on the trip shows whether the rules hold. Evening meetings and free time can be moments in which peer pressure arises. A fixed time for an evening check, clear bedtimes and a fixed contact person per room or group create structure. Anyone who notices that a child is changing raises it early and does not wait until the journey home.

Evaluating after the trip

Evaluate the trip with the accompanying staff. What worked, and where were there gaps? Note the findings for the next planning. The accompanying staff should also record their impressions in writing before everyday life overlays them. In this way, a single incident or a quiet trip becomes a learning process for the whole school.