SPITTING is a habit teachers have been trying to stamp out of children for years.
But a school in New Addington has had to send a letter to PARENTS, to ask them to politely refrain from gobbing on the ground.
Wolsey Infant and Nursery School, in King Henry's Drive, issued a carefully-worded missive to all parents l on October 14, to ask them to stop spitting as it sets a bad example to children.
The note also asks parents to take their young children who don't attend the school to its visitors' bathroom rather than "using a discrete tree".
This follows complaints on the Facebook group New Addington Pathfinders from parents who said they had seen people spitting on the ground and a child urinating outside the school.
The letter, on paper headed with the name of head teacher Mrs Terry Cefai, stressed the importance of keeping out bugs and illnesses at this time of year.
It said: "As the weather has changed so dramatically so quickly, coughs and colds are springing up.
"Could you please remind your children that when they feel uncomfortable in their throat with catarrh could they please use a tissue to rather than spit onto the ground. Please remember we are the ones who set the example to the children and model their expected behaviour.
"So adults, please refrain from doing this also. If you are 'caught short' the office would be more than happy to give you a tissue."
The Advertiser approached the school for comment but is yet to receive a response.
Parents welcomed the school's quick action in discouraging the bad habit.
Chez Fairchild said on Facebook: "What a brilliant letter. Polite, friendly but gets the point across."
Another poster, Stephen Tanner, said it would be a problem as long as students' mates were doing it.
The letter did, however, end with a more positive message: "On a cheery note we often find that head lice are considerably less frequent in the winter; we don't know why but every blessing helps."
