SCHOOL EXCLUDES DRUG PUPIL

A Gore High School year nine pupil caught with cannabis at school will no
longer be able to attend Gore High.

Rector Eoin Crosbie said yesterday the board of trustees decided at a
disciplinary meeting on Friday to exclude the boy from the school.

This was the second time the board has excluded a pupil for possession of
cannabis at school, the other incident occurring two years ago.

The year nine pupil was caught about 10 days ago when a random search of
the school was undertaken by police drug dog Murphy.

The visit was a follow-up to a health and safety programme launched at Gore
High and St Peters College, the other secondary school in Gore, last month.

Pupils were advised during that visit there would be random searches for drugs.

Mr Crosbie said the school and board of trustees were determined the school
should be a safe environment and random searches by the drug dog would
continue.

"We are not naive enough to think it's (cannabis) not around but we want to
have a coherent and open strategy in dealing with the issue."

The school and board of trustees would do its best to make the school
drug-free, Mr Crosbie said.

He did not believe that was unrealistic, he said.