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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Gordonstoun's head criticises drug reforms Tom Peterkin The Telegraph Tuesday 22 Oct 2002 The headmaster at the Prince of Wales's old school has warned that the Government's decision to reclassify cannabis would make it more difficult for him to discipline pupils who take the drug. Mark Pyper, the headmaster at Gordonstoun, believes that the Home Secretary's reclassification of cannabis to a class C drug will make it easier for pupils to obtain the substance and undermine his attempts to keep the £18,000-a-year school drug free. "Headmasters have to face up to the fact that if they apply a hard line on pupils who try cannabis they will face some real practical difficulties, like the possibility of expelling substantial numbers of pupils," he said. Mr Pyper's remarks reflect increasing concern among headmasters of independent schools about the law change, which comes into force next summer. Possession of cannabis will result in an offender being cautioned by police instead of being arrested. Last week Michael Spens, the headmaster at Tony Blair's old school, Fettes College, Edinburgh, admitted that he was anxious about the change, although he said the school would continue to expel all pupils who experimented with drugs even if it were their first offence. Under the Gordonstoun school rules, pupils caught smoking cannabis for the first time are usually suspended for a fortnight, although the headmaster can expel more serious offenders at his own discretion. Those found taking hard drugs face immediate expulsion. During the period of suspension, the pupil must write to the headmaster agreeing to be spot tested for drugs on his return to school. "This approach has proved very popular to parents," said Mr Pyper. To expel a pupil for experimenting with cannabis would "destroy their future prospects because of one mistake". Mr Pyper has been a controversial headmaster of the famous institution, which counts the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles and Peter and Zara Philips among its alumni. The headmaster was criticised when he admitted to pupils that he reacted to the terrorist attacks on September 11 by getting drunk. Earlier this year it was discovered that his entry in Who's Who wrongly claimed that he had a degree in modern history from Oxford. In fact he sat his degree at London University. He was further embarrassed when he was forced to discipline his 16-year-old daughter Sarah after she was caught drinking alcohol in the school grounds. She was suspended from taking part in social activities at the school for two weeks.
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