School drug blitz
Ellen Whinnett
July 24, 2007 12:00am
STUDENTS caught with drugs on any Victorian school ground will be reported to police under a tough new agreement signed by the state's private schools.
Independent and Catholic schools have agreed to follow the same guidelines as state schools when it comes to dealing with students who are using, possessing or dealing drugs.
Under the deal, signed quietly last month, principals have to be advised of every incident involving students and drugs.
The school is then required to notify police, and to work with any investigation.
Education Minister John Lenders revealed to State Parliament that schools had been warned if they do not obey these guidelines and report drug activity to police, they could be in breach of Victoria's drug laws.
The move comes after recent scandals at elite private schools Scotch and Xavier colleges, which did not notify police of students who were involved with drugs.
Police were furious they were not advised that Xavier had expelled a year 11 student for selling marijuana to three other students.
And Scotch College didn't tell police it had expelled a year 12 student for selling ecstasy to a year 9 student.
Mr Lenders said a strengthened memorandum of understanding had been signed between the Education Department and the two umbrella bodies that cover almost every non-government school in Victoria.
They are the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria and the Association of Independent Schools Victoria.
The agreement brings the two non-government bodies in line with Education Department policy, which requires all of its 1600 schools to report illicit drug activity to police.
"This Government will not tolerate illicit drugs in Victorian schools and expects all schools to report illicit drug activity to police under the terms of the strengthened memorandum of understanding signed between the Catholic, independent and government schools," Mr Lenders said.
"We expect the CECV and AISV to alert member schools of the revised guidelines, and communicate the Bracks Government's zero-tolerance approach on drugs in schools.
"We expect that this agreement will cover every Victorian school."
Mr Lenders said the Government would be monitoring the effectiveness of the new agreement very closely.
AISV chief executive Michelle Green agreed the Memorandum of Understanding on drug policies had been updated, but said her association had always had a policy of reporting illicit drug activity.
Both Scotch and Xavier are members of the AISV.
Ms Green said the association had agreed to "remind its members of what the policy has always been".
"The situation has not changed," she said.
"If a school becomes aware of drug activity it should be notified to police."
Director of Catholic Education Stephen Elder said Catholic schools were already expected to implement a whole-school approach to student wellbeing that incorporated drug education.
"The Memorandum of Understanding between the education sectors formalises the policies and procedures of the Catholic Education Office Melbourne and the other education authorities, especially in regard to reporting drug matters to the police," Mr Elder said.
"The CEOM supports the work of the Department of Education in developing effective drug education strategies with a focus on prevention and intervention."
