Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:


After you have finished reading this article you can click here to go back.

UK: Drug law 'works against schools'

Julie Henry

Sunday Telegraph

Sunday 05 Mar 2006

---


The government's drugs policy is undermining head teachers' attempts to
banish cannabis from the classroom, according to the chairman of a
leading independent schools' association.

The decision to downgrade cannabis from a class B to a class C drug, and
the refusal to reverse the policy despite growing concerns have made it
"a great deal harder" to convince teenagers of the dangers of drugs,
said David Chapman, the head teacher of Hampshire Collegiate School in
Romney.

In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph on the eve of the annual
conference of the Society of Headmistresses and Headmasters of
Independent Schools, he said the confused message coming from the Home
Office was sabotaging the battle against cannabis.

"The Government's dithering confirms in the minds of our young people
that adults don't know what they are taking about when it comes to
drugs," he said. "Young people are under considerable peer pressure, far
more so than 20 or 30 years ago. They see cannabis as cheaper than beer,
easily available and not dangerous - as they will know people who use it
who seem fine."

Incidents involving drugs are now so commonplace that some schools have
dropped hardline approaches. Eton, for example, no longer automatically
expels pupils found taking drugs. According to the Good Schools Guide,
fewer than one in 30 independent schools operate a
one-strike-and-you're-out policy. At the same time, efforts to uncover
drug taking have been stepped-up, with some schools resorting to random
searches, drug testing and dogs.

According to Mr Chapman, schools need to be vigilant and to continue to
stand firm. "Schools should not be afraid to say, 'you have strayed
beyond our parameters so you have to go'.

"If the Government is not prepared to be resolute, I don't know what it
expects head teachers to do. We need to say that we believe drug taking
to be wrong, even if that is an unfashionable position."

 

 

 

After you have finished reading this article you can click here to go back. 




This page was created by the Cannabis Campaigners' Guide.

Feel free to link to this page!