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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Top school expels pupils over drugs
BBC Online
Tuesday 05 Feb 2002 Three pupils have been expelled from a leading private school for taking drugs. The sixth form boys were asked to leave Fettes College in Edinburgh, where Prime Minister Tony Blair was educated, after two separate incidents. A spokesman for the school confirmed that two teenagers were found with cannabis at a sixth form party at the school on Saturday and another, aged 17, failed a drugs test after a business studies trip to Belgium last week. But he insisted that drugs were not a serious problem at the fee-paying school. Random drugs testing The school's current policy is that pupils are asked to agree to a drugs test if there is any suspicion that they have taken illegal substances. If they fail, they are asked to leave. It is understood Fettes College is now looking into the possibility of random drug tests. Fettes is an independent boarding and day School for 575 pupils aged from eight to 18, with fees of up to 17,000 pounds a year for full boarding senior pupils. It was ranked in a Sunday Times survey as the Scottish School of the year in 2001. The expulsions come a week after another private school in the capital, Edinburgh Academy, announced it was to charge parents for testing pupils suspected of taking drugs. Letters were sent to the parents of a small number of pupils asking them to agree to testing. Headteacher Michael Spens said the pupils had been very foolish and had been punished. He said: "The school line is very clear and one which all parents and pupils understand. Possession of drugs is expressly forbidden." "If a pupil is found with drugs they can be told to leave the school and if there is any questions of doubt they are asked to take a drugs test. Scourge of society "In one of these cases, we did not require to carry out any testing because there was no doubt about drugs - the two boys were found in possession of cannabis." The headmaster said the issue of random drug testing being introduced at the school was one that "was always under review". He said: "Drug taking is not a serious problem at this school. Although these incidents in the last few days show that there are certain individuals who will take drugs, I am happy to say that incidents of this kind are very rare. "Unfortunately, it's a scourge of society and my staff are being very vigilant as these cases show. "We continue to do a lot of work in the school to emphasise the danger of drugs and the foolishness of getting involved in this sort of activity."
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