Pubdate: Wed, 31 Oct 2012
Source: Rotorua Daily Post (New Zealand)
Copyright: 2012 Rotorua Daily Post.
Contact: http://www.rotoruadailypost.co.nz/feedback/letters-to-the-editor/
Website: http://www.rotoruadailypost.co.nz/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2785
Author: Kelly Makiha
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?237 (Drug Dogs)

KEEP THE LEASH ON DRUG KIDS

The Government is looking at changing a law which, among many things, 
will abolish the practice of drug sniffer dogs and drug testing in schools.

The Education Amendment Bill, introduced to Parliament this month, 
aims to provide "safe learning environments without invasive methods".

Under the new bill, teachers will still be able to take reasonable 
steps to make students surrender items - confiscating and disposing 
of items where appropriate - but the use of drug dogs and testing 
students for drugs will be stopped.

The Ministry of Education says the changes will encourage safe 
learning environments without breaching a child's human rights.

Well, what about the human rights of the children who aren't on drugs 
at school?

Don't they have the right to be safe from drug-pedalling and 
drug-taking students?

One day, I will be a mother of a child at school and as a parent I 
would welcome the police doing random swoops on the school and even 
random drug testing where appropriate.

Rotorua schools are already using the practice and it sends a strong 
message to students that drugs will not be tolerated.

Sure, it doesn't always work and there will be students who bring 
drugs to school regardless. But surely this is just one more 
prevention method for schools to use.

By stopping the drug searches, we're sending a message to students 
that it's okay.

The Daily Post has reported that 73 students in our city were stood 
down or suspended for drug-related incidents in Rotorua schools last 
year. That's a figure that's nearly double the national average. How 
horrendous.

The Government must listen to this outcry from parents and principals 
and urgently amend the bill.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom