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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Drugs test head to retire
The Guardian
Friday 09 Sep 2005 A headteacher who helped pioneer the country's first random drugs testing scheme in a state school has announced he is to retire next spring. Peter Walker brought in the controversial project at the Abbey School in Faversham, Kent, at the beginning of the year and claims it has had a positive effect on exam results. Last month, the school celebrated its best ever GCSE performance after 40% of pupils achieved five or more A* to C grades smashing Abbey's previous best of 32%. Mr Walker, who is in his late 50s, said he was proud of the progress he had made with the drugs scheme, which other schools around the country have shown an interest in introducing. He said: "We are all very proud of it. The school has just had the best year in its history, there are new buildings planned and we have had the best set of results ever. "We fully intend to continue with work in this field and know of other schools that are looking at it. People want to know that their children are safe in school. "It has attracted worldwide interest and been the subject of television programmes and documentaries in Japan, Spain, France and the US and there have been requests for information from schools in Australia and India. "The only thing that has surprised me is that more schools haven't taken it up yet." He said that only one pupil had actually tested positive since the scheme began but added that the child had been offered full support and help. "It is a question of support and trying to understand why they started in the first place, it is definitely not about punishment," he said. Asked if the scheme had boosted the exam results, he said: "It has been a contributory factor but I couldn't claim it was the only factor - that has to be researched as part of a UK-wide study." Mr Walker, who said he had always planned to retire in his 50s, added: "What the new headteacher will find is a warm, happy school with really nice kids." The project - funded by Altrix Healthcare, the company which manufactures the testing kits, and a tabloid newspaper has attracted criticism from civil liberties groups and drugs charities who say it is an invasion of privacy and could increase truancy. However, it has received support from the prime minister, Tony Blair, and the Conservatives. Under the regime, up to 20 pupils each week are selected at random by computer before being swabbed by specially trained non-teaching staff. The samples are then sent off to a laboratory to be checked for traces of drugs such as cannabis, cocaine and ecstasy.
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