Pubdate: Fri, 26 Oct 2012
Source: New Zealand Herald (New Zealand)
Copyright: 2012 New Zealand Herald
Contact:  http://www.nzherald.co.nz/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/300
Author: Matthew Backhouse

SCHOOL DRUG TEST BAN 'OUTRAGE'

A law change to ban schools from drug testing students will "seriously
dent'' the ability of teachers to stop drugs entering the school
gates, the principals' union says.

The Education Amendment Bill, which was introduced to Parliament last
week, would ban schools from using drug sniffer dogs or requiring
students to undergo a drug test.

Secondary Principals' Association president Patrick Walsh said parents
would be outraged by the change.

"Prohibiting the use of drug dogs in schools, and stopping schools
from drug testing students who have been caught using drugs in schools
to ensure they're clean, will seriously dent our capacity to stop the
scourge of drugs in our community from entering our school gates,'' he
told Radio New Zealand this morning.

"I think the public and parents would be outraged at this because the
overarching principle is we want our schools to be
drug-free.''

Mr Walsh said the law change would give schools "very little'' power
to detect drugs.

Teachers would still be able to take reasonable steps to make students
surrender items.

But they but could not require students to present a medical
certificate because that would require them giving a sample - which
the bill explicitly prohibits.

Mr Walsh said the current practice in schools was to suspend students
caught using drugs at school.

"And as a condition of returning to school they are required to
undergo a drug test to ensure that they're drug free.

"This will prohibit schools from doing this and I think will
compromise the safety of that student, because we won't know whether
they're on drugs or not, and also compromise the safety of other students.''

Mr Walsh said he was not suggesting all students should be randomly
drug tested.

"It's only the ones that are caught using drugs and for their safety,
they should be required to undergo drug testing.''
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MAP posted-by: Matt