Pubdate: Sun, 02 May 2004 Source: Scotsman (UK) Copyright: The Scotsman Publications Ltd 2004 Contact: http://www.scotsman.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/406 Author: Yakub Qureshi Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing) PRIVATE SCHOOLS DITCH HARD LINE ON DRUGS TWO of Scotland's leading private schools have admitted relaxing the 'zero tolerance' approach to drugs that has seen dozens of pupils across the country expelled in recent years. Loretto and Merchiston Castle say they no longer automatically throw out youngsters caught in possession of drugs provided they agree to random tests in future. The schools deny taking a liberal stance, insisting the move is an 'enlightened' reaction to the modern day reality of young people and drug use. Most private schools have adopted an increasingly hard line in recent years, and there have been several occasions where pupils were expelled for possession of cannabis. But there is growing evidence that schools are reviewing their policies in the light of evidence of the extent of drug use by young people and the growing realisation in some quarters that the 'war' on drugs will never be won. Expulsion remains the likely outcome for pupils who deal or are found with Class A drugs. But the advent of cheap and effective drugs tests means schools are now more likely to consider helping those caught smoking cannabis. Michael Mavor, headmaster of Loretto School in Musselburgh, East Lothian, has moved his school away from "zero tolerance" after bringing about similar changes to the famous Rugby boarding school in Coventry. He agreed there had been a "major departure" in schools' drug policies over the past four years. "My thinking was changed a few years ago after surveys came out that showed 40% of 14-year-olds have sampled some illegal substance," he said. "Since the late 1990s there has been a sea-change in people's outlook on drugs policy. I think there is a lot more realism. We are recognising that many young people do sample drugs, especially cannabis. "We have to face up to the fact that people do come into contact with drugs at parties or whatever." Under the new system at the UKP 18,000-a-year boarding school, pupils who are caught using drugs 'lose their right to stay at the school' but would not necessarily be excluded. Mavor added that outright examples of pupils being caught with drugs were rare and in most cases pupils were only suspected of offences. If pupils in such cases were honest about their involvement, the threat of expulsion would be removed but they would have to submit to regular testing. He said: "When we feel there may be drugs involved, we say to pupils that if everybody tells the truth then we will pursue the matter without disciplinary consequences. "If people have been involved with drugs then their parents are informed and they must agree to avoid drugs and take urine tests each term for the remainder of their school career. There has been only one incident in my three years here." Andrew Hunter, headteacher at Merchiston Castle, Edinburgh, the only all-boys boarding school in Scotland, said he had been 'appalled' by the recent reclassification of cannabis as a class C drug but admitted that his school had moved away from a hardline policy. "This is not a liberal approach, but an enlightened approach," he said. "In a perfect world we would aspire to zero tolerance but the world is not perfect and we have to use our judgment. You can't afford to say that I absolutely and utterly believe in expelling all pupils involved in drugs but every boy must understand that involvement in drugs puts their place at this school under risk. "The key thing is that all parents like schools to have strong policies on drugs. But when it is their own son or daughter that makes a mistake it can suddenly become very distressing." In cases where Merchiston pupils were caught dealing drugs or in possession of class A drugs, they would most likely still be expelled, but for other incidents the headteacher said that less severe action could be taken. Since taking control at the 420-pupil school five years ago, Hunter said a total of five pupils had been given twice-termly urine tests as a condition of being allowed to stay on. Other schools vowed to retain a hard line on drugs. George Watson's College in Edinburgh recently disciplined three pupils after pictures showing them smoking cannabis at a party emerged. George Watson's said the trio escaped expulsion only because they had not committed the offence on the campus grounds. Deputy principal Heather Wilson said their tough drugs policy remained unchanged. "Our policy is under revision constantly, but we are very committed to remaining a safe environment and that means permanently excluding anyone who brings drugs into the campus," he said. A survey conducted by health chiefs in Tayside in 1999 showed levels of drug abuse were the same in both private and state schools, with around 26% of S1-S4 pupils in each sector admitting to experimenting with illegal drugs. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom