DRUG ABUSE CASTS SHADOW OVER ELITE BRITISH SCHOOLS

LONDON, - Britain's elite schools were dealt an
embarrassing blow on Thursday when a survey showed almost half the
country's most privileged and best educated pupils had tried drugs by
the age of 16.

Almost one in three 14-year-olds at fee-paying schools have tried
illegal drugs and one in 10 is a regular user, according to a report
published by an independent group representing the schools.

The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC) survey rocked
the foundations of the educational establishment by finding that in
top schools, drugs came second only to family break-ups as the most
common cause of pupils' problems.

"Illegal drug taking is no longer limited to a disaffected and
rebellious few," the report said. "It is part of the culture of teenagers."

The HMC, which represents renowned schools such as Eton and Harrow,
declined to divulge which of the 240 leading mixed and boys schools it
represents had taken part in the survey.

In the HMC's survey of more than 2,400 pupils at 20 independent
schools, 60 percent of 16-year-olds said they had been offered illegal
drugs and 43 percent had experimented. More than 12 percent used
drugs regularly -- mainly cannabis.

Although drugs were the greatest concern for heads of boarding
schools, day school heads were more concerned about alcohol abuse,
the report said.

Around 44 percent of private boarding schools and 21 percent of day
schools automatically expel pupils when they are found with drugs.