FETTES COLLEGE RULES OUT RANDOM DRUG TESTS

ONE of Scotland's most famous private schools yesterday ruled out
random drug testing after it emerged that three pupils had been
expelled following evidence of substance abuse.

Fettes College in Edinburgh, Tony Blair's former school, will not be
adopting a policy flagged up by Edinburgh Academy, another of the
city's top fee-paying schools, where parents are to be charged £50 for
drug tests.

Yesterday, details of the three sixth-formers involved in the incident
were not being released by the school.

However, it is thought that one of the boys, who failed a test for
drugs on an overseas trip, is the son of a QC.

The boys, two aged 17 and one aged 16, were asked to leave the college
after two separate incidents involving drugs.

A spokesman for the school confirmed reports that two teenagers had
been found with cannabis at a sixth-form party at the school on
Saturday and that another, aged 17, had failed a drugs test following
a business studies trip to Belgium last week.

He said: "The policy at Edinburgh Academy is obviously not the policy
at Fettes. If there is a suspicion that a pupil has used drugs then
the school would seek parental consent before any test was carried
out.

"We are not considering, however, random drugs testing like Edinburgh
Academy. Our policy is carried out on a case-by-case basis and they
are no plans for blanket testing at the school."

Michael Spens, the headteacher at the school which commands fees of up
to £17,000 a year for full boarders, yesterday refused to expand on
comments he made in a newspaper.

He was reported as saying: "These pupils have been very foolish and
they have been punished. For them it is a personal tragedy.

"The school line is very clear and one which all parents and pupils
understand.

"Possession of drugs of any sort is expressly forbidden."

A spokesman for Lothian and Borders police said: "The school has not
contacted us regarding the incidents and drugs allegations. To date,
there is no police involvement."