MCCLAY SUPPORTS PROPOSAL FOR DRUG TESTING IN SCHOOLS

A CHRISTCHURCH school's proposal to introduce random drug-testing of
pupils caught abusing drugs has the support of Commissioner for
Children Roger McClay.

St Andrew's College rector Barry Maister said last week that rather
than expel students caught using illicit drugs he wanted to offer
professional assessment and treatment. That would be followed by a
regime of random drug-testing for the following two years to allow
students to return to school.

Mr McLay said yesterday such a policy was much better than expelling
students.

Eighty children a day were suspended or expelled from schools, and it
was much better to make sure their future options were not lost to
them.

However, anyone considering such schemes had to be mindful of the
children's rights and privacy.

"I think young people also have a right to expect that someone will
take a positive step to ensure that the rest of their life is okay.,,

He said if more money was invested in treatment programmes, there were
many organisations and people available to run them.

Hutt International Boys School principal Harvey Rees--Thomas said
random drug-tests would not be something his school would countenance.
"We try to work closely with parents and students to make sure they
are fully informed ... We run [anti-drug] programmes ... and there is
very much open communication about things like behaviour change."

The biggest problem the school had was casual use of marijuana outside
the school, he said.

Principals' Federation president Geoff Lovegrove said the federation
was very concerned about the potential for disaster if marijuana was
decriminalised. "We will support principals in whatever decision their
boards make," he said.

Onslow College principal Peter Smith said that the consequences for
drug abusers depended on the severity of the offence.

If students were selling for gain, the board of trustees would likely
remove them from the school. But if they were simply using or in
possession of drugs, the school was more likely to initiate a support
programme to try to rehabilitate them and return them to school.

Random tests were not part of school policy.

Wellington College principal Roger Moses said his school had in the
past asked parents and pupils for their agreement to drug tests.
"Although we haven't put it into effect."

Secondary Principals' Association president Tom Robson said his
school, Te Awamutu College, had in the past required some students to
agree to drug testing and that had worked -well.

The association would support anything that gave the message that use
of drugs was bad news.