Pubdate: Fri, 31 Mar 2000 Source: Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) Copyright: 2000 The Sydney Morning Herald Contact: GPO Box 3771, Sydney NSW 2001 Fax: +61-(0)2-9282 3492 Website: http://www.smh.com.au/ Forum: http://forums.fairfax.com.au/ Author: Julia Baird And Gerard Noonan PRINCIPALS DIVIDED OVER DRUG TESTING Government high schools will not be following the lead of several prominent NSW and Victorian private schools to drug test their students at random. A spokesman for the Department of Education and Training said yesterday there were no plans whatsoever to use random drug testing of students in the State's 400 secondary schools. Earlier this week, the head of St Andrew's Cathedral School indicated the school planned to introduce the random tests for students who had been caught with drugs and who had sought a second chance after admitting to a problem. Inquiries by the Herald indicate that a wide range of views exist on the issue. The principal of The King's School, Dr Timothy Hawkes, said a system of random drug testing was already in place at the school for students identified as being "at risk". Dr Hawkes said he sought the support of the parents, notified the student, and then sprang a test on them, collecting a urine sample and sending it to a pathologist. The principal of Tara Anglican School for Girls, Mrs Carol Bowern, said she supported the concept of a second chance and had used drug testing at the Whitsunday Anglican School in Mackay where she was head from 1995 to 1999. If a student was found in suspicious circumstances, Mrs Bowern escorted them to a pathology lab where tests were done on urine samples. Mrs Judith Wheeldon, head of Abbotsleigh, said she would watch the St Andrew's tests with great interest and had an open mind to considering implementing it at the school. Ms Jenny Allum from SCEGGS Darlinghurst said every disciplinary problem would be treated on a case-by-case basis, but would consider it as an option. However, the headmaster of Trinity, Mr Milton Cujes, said he had a policy of zero tolerance and any student "involved with seed or substance" would be expelled. Yesterday the departmental spokesman said a random drug testing regime would be a gross invasion of privacy which was totally outside the duty of care which the schools had towards students. He said any discovery by school staff of use or possession of illegal substances by students required a mandatory notification by the school's principal to police. - --- MAP posted-by: Doc-Hawk