WORRY OVER COST OF STUDENT DRUG PLAN

The cost of offering cannabis-using school students a treatment programme
and random drug testing instead of expulsion would be beyond the means of
most families, Christchurch principals say.

The initiative has been raised by St Andrew's College rector Barry Maister,
who says the school may offer drug-abusing students a three-week residential
drug programme followed by random drug testing costing about $10,000.

While supporting initiatives which would allow them an alternative to
expulsion, principals of Christchurch's State schools, some of which already
conduct random testing, said it was not a realistic option for most families
unless funding was available.

Hillmorton principal Richard Belton said he welcomed discussion of any
alternative to expulsion in drug use cases, but the difficulty with Mr
Maister's proposal was the cost.

He also wondered whether an intensive treatment programme was appropriate
for most students caught offending against drug rules while at school.

"I think you need alternatives to throwing kids out of school and the
proposal is certainly an option for some people with $10,000 and in the
right kind of case," he said.

Drugs were often only part of the problem for students with chaotic lives,
he said.

Mairchau High principal Neil Lancaster said random testing had legal
difficulties because there was no way of proving the cannabis was taken at
school even if a test was positive.

His school did random tests on students, but only with the support of their
parents.

Schools had to be careful not to set up unsustainable solutions to students
using drugs at school. A user-pays solutions to students using drugs at
school. A user-pays residential drug treatment programme was a "pie in the
sky" solution for most families, he said.

Dr Graham Stoop, principal of Burnside High, said he was very supportive of
Mr Maister's initiative, but it would be beyond the means of most parents.

The main advantage of a treatment programme combined with random testing was
that it involved the community in rehabilitating the student.

"If schools are going to get on top of the problem the solution must have a
community focus," he said.

He-was critical of the Ministry of Education's drug policy statement, saying
it was so balanced and politically correct it did not highlight the dangers
of cannabis strongly enough.

Acting principal of Hornby High, Jon Rogers, said the school's board had
taken a "black and white view" of drug use, but was now looking at
alternatives.