drug search at school

[hahaRainbow]

Is this legal? my ds has come home from school (state comp) where (he says) during a science class, a teacher arrived announcing that 'this is a drug free school and now we are going to have the sniffer dogs in'.

Apparently the kids were then lined up while a dog ran up and down sniffing them and another dog sniffed the classroom.

of course I'm not happy about drugs at school but I do wonder about the legalities of this and what IF a kid had been caught.... am I wrong to be worried?

Searching is entirely different to have a sniffer dog walk past ffs. Huge difference.

One is expected to 'line up' at customs/passport control in an airport. Not ordered, true, but let's not be pedantic; and one is often subject to a walk past by the aforementioned dogs and their handlers.

"Protecting the rights and welfare of children and vulnerable adults DETAINED or INTERVIEWED by police"

Not when a fucking random check happens. Again, huge difference.

Yes but the point is Biscetti, subjecting a classroom of children to search by sniffer dogs creates a horrible, distrustful and intimidatory environment for learning for all the children and won't eradicate drugs in schools anyway. They were lined up, as if under suspicion. That is completely different to lining up, through choice, to board a plane.

I still don't want my children subjected to a random police check. They are vulnerable young adults. The result of a drugs check such as the one described would in all likelihood mean my children wouldn't return to school.

A lot of the children will be incredibly afraid when it happens, even if they haven't done anything wrong. Some children may not understand what the difference is between legal / illegal drugs, or think the dog might smell something else on them and indicate them, it very nerve wracking being lined up and searched in an environment where you have no power.

This is a really good way to ensure that some children end up with a total hatred for authority isn't it? The same way that stop and search as used (abused) by the police has done with groups in the communities that are disproportionately targeted.

Biscetti but even the UK police guidance on sniffer dogs doesn't allow the police to line you up for a test (there are no laws on it, but the police can't of course routinely make you line up at all) sniffer dogs have to just move through crowds not specifically search individuals.

The police do not have the power over individuals done as described in the OP, it's against school guidelines. Of course to me it sounds like a badly reported lesson about sniffer dogs by the student rather than an actual situation.

Where you have no power and you might not really understand what's going on that should probably read.

Teachers know who the kids who might have or sell drugs are already. This is about putting the frighteners on the others.

I would agree with you dawndonna. That would definitely be enough for me to remove my child from the school.

Mary of course they know and that's where they should focus their efforts. I don't want my child's school, using dogs, to "put the frighteners on".

i glad there are others here who can see and express the problems with this far more eloquently than me!

Crystal I'm undecided, just pointing out that not every pupil would necessarily be guilty if a dog alerted to them. What if a sibling had borroed an item of clothing and smoked wearing it, then the innocent caught pupil is subjected to searches and questioning on a dog's say so.

I do think that weed is fucking awful stuff though and wrecks havoc on teenagers brains.

And useless bongohead adults.

I don't either, Lambertsimnel.

I would certainly consider removing my dcs in such scenarios and home educating.

I can't believe the number of posters getting their knickers in a twist over this.
Some seem to be the professionally offended.
Some are just naive.

Saying children are vulnerable is true...they are vulnerable from drug users and dealers within schools.

Bunbaker i can't believe the number of posters who are dismissive and patronizing toward others who hold opinions contrary to theirs

At long last they are adopting this in the UK. I used to live in singapore where random drug tests in schools were normal. If anyone tested positive, the school gave the child 24 hours notice to leave the country and renounce residency before they handed the test results to the police. All drugs are illegal in singapore and the punishments are severe.

My dds school has a police officer attached many schools do now there is knives fighting drugs and alcohol I want my child safe at school if that involves random locker searches and sniffer dogs then so be it not all schools are nice and safe and without vicex folk can yell about civil liberties and rights but our children are exposed to all sorts at school we need them to be safe in school safe from drugs and violence. These kids were sniffed not searched

Amazed that anyone thinks that being sniffed by a drug-detection dog would be illegal.

Further amazed that, if the school has any kind of drug problem (or wishes to avoid one starting), a practical demonstration of intolerance to drugs would somehow be viewed as a bad thing. I'd be pleased the school were bothering.

So, you want the UK to be a country where schools are swarming with police and sniffer dogs looking for drug dealers? You want schools to be like airports and train stations where you can expect to be searched for drugs or bombs at any time? You will just be happy and say 'well, my dc are not drug dealers so I have no problem with it'?

The freedom and open society that most people enjoy is down to a small minority of people who can see that this is completely wrong. It should not be happening in schools. OP, YANBU.

Drugs are evil but living in a police state is worse. Bringing our dc up to think being searched for drugs is normal and they should not mind if they are not drug dealers is just sad.

Hardly "swarming" with police and sniffer dogs .... and better that than swarming with drugs IMHO. I imagine that the deterrent aspect will mean that visits are minimal anyway....

They were sniffed by a dog, not subjected to a full body cavity search. They weren't even touched.

If a simple sniff by a passing dog helped keep drugs out of my child's school, fabulous.

As an aside, would a sniffer dog pick up on weed being used at the child's home?