ANGER AS SCHOOLS CALL IN SNIFFER DOGS TO FIGHT DRUG ABUSE

Victorian high schools have introduced sniffer dogs to combat drug use
among students, prompting criticism from parent groups and teachers.

At least six schools have used dogs provided by the police drug squad to do
random searches of bags and lockers, according to a principals organisation.

The president of the Victorian Association of State Secondary Principals,
Mr Ted Brierley, yesterday defended the move, saying it sent the message
that drug dealers and abusers would get caught.

``The drug squads do favors for schools, in return for information, and
also if there's any information the drug squads have about increased
activity in or around schools ... then they let us know and we cooperate
with them,'' Mr Brierley said.

The dogs were used not necessarily where drug problems existed, but acted
as a deterrent.

``Students would know about it, parents would know about it, staff would
know about it. Students would be told at the start of the year there will
be random sniffs, if you like, of lockers, locker areas and bags by sniffer
dogs.

``The message is, don't bring drugs to schools.''

Parents' fears about drug use had been raised by the discovery last year of
boys using heroin in the Glen Eira Secondary College toilets.

Mr Brierley said while hidden cameras had identified the drug users in that
case, cameras were generally used only for property protection.

The principal of Tallangatta Secondary College, Mr Vern Hilditch, said he
had organised sniffer dogs to search classrooms, locker areas and students'
bags twice in the past four years.

He said searches of the 330-student school, 40kilometres south of Wodonga,
had been done by police dogs and followed rumors of marijuana use. The
searches had failed to find any drugs, but served to reassure parents and
students that the school ``doesn't have a drug problem''.

But a spokesman for the Australian Education Union, Mr Charles Smith, said
using sniffer dogs to tackle drugs in schools was inappropriate and a poor
alternative to stopping students using drugs.

``Schools shouldn't have cameras and sniffer dogs and all the paraphernalia
of the police state,'' he said. ``Schools should welcome students, and they
should have the resources to identify and help kids at a time when
prevention has a chance to work.''The president of the Victorian Council of
School Organisations, Mr Richard Williams, said the drug problem needed to
be prevented by looking at students' health, educational and social
problems and including the wider community.