CLASS IS OUT ON DRUG TESTS FOR CAPE PUPILS

Principals and teachers are wary of implementing newly passed laws
which allow for testing of pupils suspected of using drugs.

Most Cape Town educators surveyed raised concerns about uncertainties
over the legislation while others said the cost of drug-testing kits
was prohibitive.

Gazetted in December, the Education Laws Amendment Act also gives
teachers the right to search pupils and seize any drugs, weapons or
dangerous objects.

Many school principals in the city said they were conducting searches
and seizures but were hesitant to roll out random urine tests.

They said the Western Cape Education De-partment had remained silent
on the new law and had failed to provide schools with guidelines on
implementing it.

Yesterday the department said talks were under way as to how schools
could be assisted in implementing the act.

Gert Witbooi, spokesperson for Education MEC Cameron Dugmore, said
they were considering how their Safer Schools project could assist.

The principal of Norman Henshilwood High in Constantia, David Miller,
said schools could not be expected to implement laws if they were not
warned of the pitfalls or properly briefed. "The department has to
enable and capacitate principals to deal with the act."

Currently, when pupils were suspected of using drugs, parents were
informed that they had to deal with the drug-testing process.

Hammies van Niekerk, principal of Jan van Riebeeck High School in
Gardens, said principals were "scared" to implement the act because if
they failed to follow the correct procedure with drug tests, they
could be hauled to court.

In Stellenbosch, Paul Roos Gymnasium principal Jannie van der
Westhuizen said principals needed proper legal advice before they
could implement drug testing.

"It is up to the department to provide advice," he
said.

Thurston Brown, the principal at Manenberg High, raised concerns about
the cost of drug-testing kits, which range between R30 and R130.

"It is a challenge for us to have children tested. We don't have
finances and our community also does not have places where they can go
for free testing," he said.

The principal of Desmond Tutu Secondary School in Paarl, Julius Allah,
said: "This is an expensive exercise."

And Riyaadh Najaar, acting principal at Princeton Secondary School in
Mitchells Plain, said they welcomed the act bult felt teachers should
not have to administer drug tests for which they were not trained.

"There is a need for trained people to be appointed to do this at
schools," he said.

Najaar was backed by the head of the SA Human Rights Commission, Jody
Kollapen, who said: "We support the law but implementation should be
done through outside agents."