PUPILS at a secondary school will undergo random drug testing when they return from the Christmas holiday next week in what is believed to be the first state scheme of its kind.

Students as young as 11 at The Abbey School in Faversham, Kent, will have mouth swabs taken to detect the use of drugs including cannabis, cocaine and Ecstasy, Peter Walker, the headmaster, said.

A computer will select 20 names at random each week from the 960 pupils and they will be tested by specially trained non-teaching members of staff. The swabs will be sent to a laboratory and the results will be available in three days.

So far 85 per cent of parents have given their permission and no one will be tested against their will.

Mr Walker said: “We will call the parents into the school and discuss it. It might indicate that the child has been taking some stuff and doesn’t want to be found out.” The findings will be released.

Children who test positive will not be expelled, but those found drug-dealing will be, Mr Walker said. “It’s not a question of punishment, it’s a question of support.”

Mr Walker said that 40 per cent of teaching staff had supported the Altrix Healthcarebacked scheme by volunteering to undergo the tests, too.

He added: “We do not have any bigger [drugs] problem than any other school.”

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