SHORE GIRL EXPELLED FOR SMOKING POT

A 15-year-old with minor intellectual disabilities has been expelled from
school for smoking cannabis.

But two other students from the North Shore, Auckland, school caught
smoking cannabis on the same day in a different incident have been reinstated.

Northcote College student Siliato Soagia was spotted smoking cannabis at
Highpoint Shopping Centre in Birkenhead in March. Although it was his first
offence, he has been denied re-entry into the school which has a one strike
and you're out drugs policy for senior students. Soagia's lawyer, Patrick
Walsh, will file papers in the High Court at Auckland this week to fight
the decision.

Soagia, who was given the cannabis by older friends, has sent a letter to
the school asking for a second chance. "I said I'm sorry, I won't do it
again and will you please let me back into school." He has been at home
since March.

His mother, Sitaua, said it was difficult to find another school for her
son because he was in a special needs class.

Principal Ted Benton said the two other students allowed back to school
were younger than Soagia. The school's board of trustees took a hard line
with students aged over 15. "The older students rarely get a second chance.
We would expect fifth formers to know what's going to happen," he said.