There is a debate going around about whether or not schools have the right to drug test its students. The civil libertarians believe such a measure is an invasion of privacy, whilst school administrators believe it will send a very important anti-drug message to its students. I know which side I think better represents the needs and welfare of our children (and it isn’t the civil libertarian one).
As part of a new policy, The Southport School (TSS) will collect saliva and urine samples from students at the start of each term.
The Southport School is planning to introduce drug testing on students at the start of each term to eliminate weekend and holiday drug use.
AMA federal president Steve Hambleton says saliva tests are used by Victorian traffic police and at mine sites.
“It’s a very effective policy to actually say we are a drug-free workplace and safety goes up,” he said.
“I’m sure in schools if we can keep those risk of drugs entering the school away, certainly even on times that children are not at school it affects their behaviour, it affects their learning, it affects other children at the school, so it’s probably a role that the school’s happy to step into.”
Dr Hambleton says parents and schools need to work together to tackle student drug use.
He says the drug testing could help promote the school’s image.
The Queensland Council for Civil Liberties says it has serious concerns about the policy.
President Michael Cope says The Southport School is acting well outside its duty of care.
“Because it’s random. It’s a breach of their rights to due process,” he said.
“People shouldn’t be subject to tests like this unless there’s some suspicion they’ve done something wrong.
“It will mean a lot of innocent people will be forced to go through this examination.”
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