Pubdate: Tue, 09 Mar 2004
Source: Scotsman (UK)
Copyright: The Scotsman Publications Ltd 2004
Contact:  http://www.scotsman.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/406
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

HEADS WARNED TO TAKE CARE OVER DRUG TESTING IN SCHOOLS

Headteachers were urged today to pay careful attention to Government 
guidance on the use of drug testing in schools.

Prime Minister Tony Blair said last month that guidance would be issued 
within weeks, giving heads "specifically the power to do random drug 
testing within their schools".

The guidance, which was being sent to schools today, did not use the word 
"random" in relation to drug testing.

It was put up on the Department for Education and Skills web site for 
teachers several days before Mr Blair made his remarks in a newspaper 
interview.

The guidance urged heads to take great care before asking the police or 
private security firms to conduct searches using sniffer dogs on school 
premises.

Pupils whose parents refused consent for their children submit to sniffer 
dog searches or urine tests should be removed.

And schools should exercise "extreme caution" before using such methods, 
the guidance stressed.

John Dunford, general secretary of the Secondary Heads Association, said: 
"I would recommend anybody considering drug testing or the use of sniffer 
dogs should read the guidance very carefully and note the warnings given by 
the DfES about the difficulties of addressing the drugs problem in this way."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom