Alcohol testing - boarding schools

[GinAndToast]

For those who have full boarders year 9 and over, do you know what the policy/practise is for breath testing students for alcohol?

I was surprised my DC was randomly tested this evening before their planned social.

To me it worrying screams that there is an issue 😔 Apparently 4/10 of students in every house in year 9 and 10 were randomly tested this evening.

Arghhhh. I have lived and worked in many boarding schools before. Best practise there was to only breath test those we suspected had already had alcohol and always always to give the opportunity to 'fess up first. It should never be a random/forced thing just for the sake of it 😔

But now I am wondering if I am in the minority. So please tell me what happens with your teenagers.

Was a policy for DDs school that and drugs testing!!

random and I agree to the principle of testing absolutely. But only when suspected, etc and deliberately suggested after thought.

Just not utterly random testing 😔 I am thinking the schools I have worked in are the minority though perhaps 😔

I am interested in what others experience.

Just the same as I am opposed to utterly random alcohol testing by police I guess. I think there should always be a reason or it just perpetuates the wrong atmosphere overall.

To me I am thinking they must seriously have a massive problem with pre social drinking!!

In which case, the school need to re think what they are doing rather than randomly test 😬

My DC scored 0 so I am not just sore about them being caught out!

Tbh, I was shocked by the level of alcohol drinking in yrs 9,10,11 in my DDs boarding school.
I asked them what they were going to do about this, and was reassured when the school introduced breath testing , especially for day pupils ( but by no means just day pupils) who had been prinking.

It's a proactive measure. Horrible that it has any place in our children's schools, but way better than school closing their eyes to the alcohol problem, and pupils ending up in ambulances due to alcohol poisoning.

We live in a society with an alcohol problem. I'd far rather that was addressed than ignored. Knowing that you may run foul of a random test, so moderate your behaviour, seems to me a price worth paying. And a responsible stance for a boarding school to take.

sounds sensible to me

I'll acknowledge, it's not really a sign of a healthy community.
But , outside of some religious schools, probably just an acknowledgement of the reality that our DC experience, sadly.

I just think it an old fashioned and draconian response.

I am not naive. I know students drink.

But I have worked and lived in more than a few boarding schools who didn't make it a blanket or random thing, so I am pretty shocked my chosen school for my eldest does this, as I see it as backwards, unhelpful in general, draconian and actually damaging in terms of the staff/student respect.

I wouldn't work somewhere where random drink testing was the norm unless I was a fighter pilot or air traffic control 😏 There's a time and place for utterly random testing and a school or normal place of work isn't it.

I am so glad I can rant here though and I probably won't complain as my DC would hate it, but this gives me the outlet 😂

But also, if a school announces random testing, tbh, is it that random is really what they perceive as necessary/desirable? Or just that they don't want to to have to give reasons/justifications for the tests they do? Wasn't in practice random at DDs school. But a few randoms got tested as camouflage, ifyswim.

DancingLedge I am glad my DC scored zero!

I will be interested the next social if they are picked again. There are only ten in each year in her boarding house, so to truly randomly test four...?

Random testing acts as a deterrent: if they all know that any one of them could be tested at any time then they are less likely to indulge in illicit drinking. Waiting to test pupils on the basis of "evidence" means that the school is essentially condoning the drinking and waiting for there to be a problem. Some pupils will inevitably be missed and as pp have said could end up in serious trouble.

Random testing is an Eminently sensible idea. You can be absolutely sure that their day pupil colleagues will be pre-loading before gatherings at home, it is just reality.

If the random testing is included in the school's published policies they firm part of the contract between you. So the alternative is to look elsewhere if it bothers you that much. I'd bet most schools have this kind of provision however. I'd hope so.

School should have a clear policy on this. If they do not I would complain.

BUT You probably signed up to this when you enrolled your DC.

If there was an alcohol related incident at the school, they would be asked to demonstrate what preventative measures they had in place. This kind of testing is standard practice.

IME it's not uncommon for schools to randomly test children especially the older children for both drugs and alcohol. It's inevitable that many kids at boarding school will try and drink alcohol many have significant sums in the bank accounts and they'll get older children to buy it for them or in some cases will even pay homeless people to buy it for them. Alcohol is all around them they are curious and it is part of growing up. We were armed not to bring our children back to school drunk after taking them out/home for Sunday lunch, I smugly thought it would happen to me (I don't drink) but we went out to relatives very large birthday dinner and without me noticing a waitress had given my 17 yr old DS three large glasses of wine before I intervened!

I worked in two full boarding schools where usually at least 1 child got drunk on a weekend. I know one school that breathalises all children before their Saturday night social, as a good friend would say those with nothing to hide have nothing to fear! I think you'll find that it reduces the number of children who do get drunk. Most are exceedingly aware that if the test is positive then they'll face some some sort of punishment in the case of a positive random drugs test this could include permanent exclusion. I know one big name boarding school randomely tests children for drugs and has few positives they believe because of the testing.
Having said this DS2's school didn't although I think we gave consent for a random drugs screen if deemed necessary. I'm also slightly surprised at testing yr 9s most at that age aren't leaving school premises and going off to pubs bars unsupervised for their Saturday night social.
I do agree it could appear draconian but I don't think it indicates a problem most are looking on it as a preventive measure.

Asked not armed!

randomgardening I have lived and worked in many top boarding schools and it's not been policy to randomly test 😔 It makes me feel sad that there are others that do.

I am actually going to talk to someone I know at the BSA and see if advice can be added at the next head's conference.

Times are changing (for those who haven't changed already!) and I don't think it has a place in modern boarding.

Of course teens in schools drink, of course they do. But forced "random" testing is not the (or even the only) answer.

PS there are barely any day students in DC's school and not sure they even go to the social.

About to change username as I do every few months, but will check back :-)

I can name at least 1 very big name boarding school (perhaps where you're DC is ) that does.

ginandtoast I'm not sure you have explained why you think the testing is a bad idea? Is it a civil liberties issue for you? Do you not see any merit in the deterrence argument?

What advise do you want added? It's down to he individual school. They are independent schools so that can pursue whatever policy they like. There is no breach of safe guarding/confidentiality here. The only thing is that perhaps they should have made you aware of their policy (assuming they didn't). I'm not quite sure why you're so upset about it TBH. Do you feel the same about random drugs screening? The big name boarding school that I know that does it I would say it reflects their ethos in general they have a very low tolerance of any misdemeanours/behavioural concerns. Thats pretty obvious when you talk to staff no one would describe it as liberal in a million years, very over subscribed many clearly like it.