It is hardly surprising that the expulsion of three young pupils from a Jeffreys Bay school for alleged drug use has raised the ire of affected parents given the way it was handled.
There can be no question the smoking of dagga by schoolchildren – in this case 13-year-olds stand accused – is unacceptable and cannot be tolerated, quite apart from it being illegal.
But the manner in which the Kings College Primary principal handled the matter is highly questionable to say the least.
What should have been dealt with especially sensitively, taking the children’s ages into account, appears by all accounts to have been a rushed process with little regard for the parents’ say in the matter.They were contacted only after drug tests had been done, summoned to the school and told to immediately remove their children.
Although the dictates of the law and education authorities’ guidelines on the issue appear to be somewhat ambivalent, the parents’ notification once reasonable suspicion has been established is without question a priority.
However, in this case, once both the principal and a teacher had identified suspects, a random drug test was conducted immediately, unbeknown to parents and without full explanation to the pupils involved – another stipulation by law. The fact that independent tests carried out the same day proved negative clouds the controversy even further.
It all goes to underscore that matters of this nature have not only to be handled with kid gloves, but that the process must be thorough beyond any shadow of doubt.
No matter what the transgression and the street savvy of a significant number of children, you are dealing with impressionable young lives and their interests and protection must always be paramount.