TEACHERS AND PARENTS CONDEMN PLAN FOR DRUG-TESTING PUPILS

PROPOSALS to introduce random drug testing of pupils in schools were
derided yesterday by teachers' and parents' groups, drugs campaigners,
and opposition politicians.

The move to give headteachers such powers was signalled by Tony Blair
in a newspaper interview yesterday, and quickly embraced by Jack
McConnell, who said he "would not tolerate a regime that was weaker"
than adopted in England.

A spokesman for the Scottish Executive last night said the first
minister had not wavered from that position. "Teachers in Scotland are
already aware of the need to look out for signs of drug-taking in
schools. However, we will look at any proposals put forward south of
the border to see if there is anything we can learn from them." But
opponents from virtually all quarters described the plan as unworkable
and nonsensical, and both leaders were criticised for "creating
policies on the hoof".

Alan Smith, president of the Scottish School Boards Association, said
he believed there were already sufficient powers for schools to tackle
the minority involved in drug-taking. He said: "Headteachers have
enough to do and I feel it would just create distrust, lack of
privacy, and lack of respect.

"I don't think it is an appropriate way to deal with things. There are
too many holes in the idea. All sorts of issues arise, such as the
infringement of privacy . . . Parents should also, obviously, be
consulted and informed if such tests were to take place." The
Headteachers' Association of Scotland and the Scottish School Teachers
Association said such random testing was unnecessary. David Eaglesham,
general secretary of the SSTA, said schools did not have the resources
to attempt to run a drug-testing system. "In practical terms, this is
quite nonsensical to suggest that schools are in any way equipped to
deal with this kind of situation. This is an idea which may or may not
have some value in the US, is to be imported to England and
apparently, if the comments are to be believed, also wholesale into
Scotland."

George Ross, general secretary of the headteachers association, said:
"An individual headteacher would have to assess how serious the
situation was in his or her particular area before they went down that
road." He said it raises issues over "who would carry out this testing
and what kind of circumstances would justify it".

Alistair Ramsay, of the campaign group Scotland Against Drugs, said
such a system would produce only negative effects. He said parents in
Scotland would not welcome this kind of approach. "Scotland Against
Drugs has already trained one teacher and the headteacher in every
primary school in Scotland and is carrying out similar training in
secondary schools.

"This doesn't happen in England and consequently Scottish schools are
much better prepared to deal with drugs issues than south of the
border." Fiona Hyslop MSP, SNP education spokeswoman, said: "I think
this is a kneejerk response. I don't think it's been thought through."
Annabel Goldie, Tory justice spokeswoman, said it might be a useful
tool in the fight against drugs where there is support from parents
and school boards, but only if the executive "stops giving out mixed
messages in much of its literature and instead adopts a zero tolerance
approach to drugs".