GOVERNMENT BACKS RANDOM DRUG TESTS IN SCHOOLS

The Government today gave its strongest indication yet that it would
support the random drug testing of all secondary school pupils.

Alan Johnson, the Education Secretary, said this evening that he had
been impressed by a 12-month pilot sheme at a school in Kent and
would support any measures proven to tackle drug use among children.

The Abbey School, a non-selective specialist school for business
whose catchment area in Faversham includes some of the county's most
deprived wards, recorded a 54 per cent improvement in GCSE results
at the end of the trial, which began in January 2005.

The school's head teacher Peter Walker was appointed as the
Government's ambassador on the issue following his retirement two months ago.

The pilot will be extended across the county from September. Its
results will be closely followed by the Department of Education with
a view to introducing a national policy.

The Government has insisted that the pilot will remain voluntary
with head teachers and parents asked if they would like their pupils
to take part. At Abbey, 86 per cent of pupils agreed. Of 600 swab
tests on children aged from 11 to 18, only one - for cannabis - was positive.

Supporters of testing believe that the measure gives children a
concrete reason not to bow to peer pressure and experiment with drugs.

Mr Walker said: "It's about time all schools came out and accepted
that there is this problem that we need to address. Anybody who says
they don't have a drug problem in their school isn't telling the truth.

"We had our best set of exam results in the school's history.
There's less disruption in the classroom, less incidents in the
playground or on the way to school.

"Children feel that they are far better protected. The biggest
reason for taking drugs is peer group pressure. It looks like we may
well have found a way for children to have a viable way of saying no
to their peer group."

The Government will commission research based on the forthcoming
Kent pilot to establish whether there is a direct link between
random testing and behaviour, attendance and academic achievement.

A DfES spokesman said today: "The decision to adopt this approach
will be one for heads in consultation with parents. This is about
providing schools who want to look at this approach with the best
possible information and guidance rather than forcing them to do it."

Mr Johnson said: "Mr Walker's drive and commitment is impressive. A
key factor was peer pressure by the kids against taking drugs. I am
determined schools should have all the support they need to tackle this issue."