PRIVATE SCHOOLS ADOPT ANTI-DRUGS PLAN

Victorian private school students caught with drugs on schools
premises will be handed to police under an agreement matching
guidelines operating in state schools.

News Limited newspapers report that independent and Catholic schools
signed an agreement last month to follow the same guidelines as state
schools for any student found using, possessing or dealing drugs.

Under the agreement, principals must be advised of every incident
involving students and drugs, notify police and work with any
investigation or risk breaching Victoria's drug laws, the report said.

The move follows recent drug incidents at elite private schools
Scotch College and Xavier College.

Police were not notified that Xavier had expelled a Year 11 student
for selling marijuana to three other students, while Scotch expelled
a Year 12 student for selling ecstasy to a Year 9 student.

Education Minister John Lenders said the Education Department, the
Catholic Education Commission of Victoria and the Association of
Independent Schools Victoria had signed the strengthened memorandum
of understanding last month.

Mr Lenders said the government would closely monitor the
effectiveness of the new agreement.