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Wales: Drug pupils kicked out of our schools

Phillip Nifield

South Wales Echo

Monday 12 Jun 2006

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Two of the Cardiff's most respected schools have excluded the highest
number of pupils for drug offences, the Echo can reveal today.

Suspensions for taking and dealing in drugs in the city's secondary
schools have rocketed by 50 per cent in just ONE year.

A total of 93 city pupils have been suspended or expelled during the
2004-05 financial year - up from 65 in the previous 12 months.

And today we reveal the shocking figures for drugs in each school in the
capital in the past two years - including five pupils who were expelled
for drug dealing.

Surprisingly, the secondaries excluding most children - Corpus Christi
Roman Catholic, in Cyncoed, and Bishop of Llandaff Church in Wales, in
Llandaff - are among the capital's most respected, with campuses in
affluent areas of the city.

But the headteachers at both schools said the figures simply showed they
were taking a zero-tolerance approach to drugs.

David Stone, headteacher of Corpus Christi Roman Catholic High, where
there were 37 expulsions - the highest in the capital - said: 'Any
incidents are always treated seriously and result in an exclusion. This
accounts for the relatively high number of exclusions for drug offences
in recent years, all of which have been for the use of cannabis. If
pupils continue to use drugs and therefore constitute a serious danger
to other pupils, they can be permanently excluded. All pupils who are
found smoking cannabis are also offered support and counselling.'

Rev Chris Hollowood, headteacher of Bishop of Llandaff Church in Wales
High School, which had 32 permanent and temporary exclusions, said: 'The
statistics for the number of fixed term exclusions for illegal drug use
at the school clearly reflect the policy of zero tolerance that I have
been applying since my time at the school.

'It is interesting to note that in 2003-04 there were 23 exclusions for
drug related offences but these refer to only three incidents when young
people were sharing cannabis spliffs. As a new headteacher, I felt that
it was important to give a very clear message to the school and local
community that we would not tolerate illegal drugs on the school premises.

'I also ensured that my senior staff were particularly vigilant in
identifying illegal drug use, some of which occurred off the school
premises during lunch time.'

The figures, released to the Echo by Cardiff council under the Freedom
of Information Act, show that in the last two years 112 pupils have
received fixed term exclusions for smoking drugs while another 12
youngsters received similar punishment for drug dealing and 29 for
possessing drugs. Three pupils were removed for being under the
influence of drugs while at school.

The figures also reveal that 12 pupils were permanently expelled - five
of them for drug dealing, another four for possessing drugs and three
for smoking illegal substances. Those pupils expelled are left without a
school to attend or have to find another secondary willing to take them on.

Heather Guy, deputy headteacher of Wales' biggest school Whitchurch
High, where there were two suspensions for drugs offences, said: 'Drugs
is a major issue but one which is more of a problem outside of school as
it monitored so closely within the site.'

Parents today said they were worried by the figures.

Gillian Anderson, 45, of Tatem Drive, Fairwater, Cardiff, who has a
14-year-old son at Cantonian High School, said: 'I'm not surprised by
the numbers of pupils suspended. Where we live, we see it every day and
I can see how things have changed.

'There should be more drugs education for the pupils. Schools have to be
tough on those using drugs to try to stop them while they're still
young, before they've moved on to harder drugs.'

And mum-of-four Fay Bowring, 47, of Archer Crescent, Ely, Cardiff, said:
'It's quite shocking for secondary schools to have that level of
drug-taking.

'My youngest daughter, Rachel, goes to Michaelston Community College and
I haven't heard of anything happening there.'

There are 21,000 secondary school pupils in Cardiff.
http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/

 

 

 

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