Schools confront rising drugs use by students

An Auckland school is seeing an increase in drug use among its students but is refusing to suspend them.

Between 2014 and 2017, across schools nationwide, the number of stand-downs for behaviour ‘‘drugs (including substance abuse)’’ dropped by 13.5 per cent.

During the same period, the number of suspensions for similar behaviours dropped by 11 per cent. Information derived through an Official Information Act request from the Ministry of Education states that even though in some instances there has been an increase in standdowns at a school, the number of suspensions remain nil.

Aorere College in south Auckland is one such school, where the number of stand-downs increased from 6 in 2014 to 24 in 2017.

Still, there were no suspensions last year.

The principal of Aorere College, Greg Pierce says more resources are being poured into addressing students with ongoing substance abuse issues.

Most often a student will be suspended if there is a realisation that the school cannot support the student’s needs.

There have been more issues with cannabis rather than alcohol, he says.

‘‘From my experience, most students don’t bring in significant quantities of the drug for selling to other students. It’s more that they have access to it at home.

‘‘Fortunately, we have really honest students and for some, it’s the way they’ve grown up, so for them to talk about it to us is normal as well. The students’ honesty helps us put them into programmes.’’

The board and the processes regarding suspensions at the school are most thorough, he says. At suspension hearings, a students’ past few months or even years of what they’ve been going through is taken into account.

‘‘We ensure that the accurate, most updated picture of that student and their needs are taken into account.’’

‘‘We don’t just walk out the door and say good luck.

‘‘We follow up.’’