There is nothing more important to the staff at Discovery College than the safety and wellbeing of our students. Unfortunately, even in a small community such as ours, we are not immune to many of the same problems faced at other schools around the world. With this, in the past several days you may you have heard rumours about drug use and distribution amongst a group of Y11 students.
Acting on credible sources, on Tuesday the decision was made by the Secondary Leadership Team to collect a number of Y11 students from their classes for drug testing and interviews. In the course of the post-testing interviews all of these students admitted to using drugs. In two instances students admitted to using marijuana and other drugs. In all other cases, the students admitted to consumption of marijuana only. In all cases consumption happened outside of school hours and off-campus. In one case that we know of, marijuana was brought into school for sale or to be given as a gift. In the course of the interviews, two students also admitted to supplying marijuana to other students. Cases of supply have been referred to the police.
At this stage all students have been suspended and a final decision on what will happen with these students will be made shortly. Understandably these students and their families are going through a difficult time. The school is treating the usage of drugs as a health issue and as such where we can we will be seeking a resolution to this incident within the spirit of restorative practices.
In the two cases where the student has supplied drugs to others, the ESF Drug Abuse Policy indicates the necessity of a withdrawal from school. This is a non-negotiable part of the policy when it comes to supplying drugs to others.
We understand that these circumstances are fertile ground for rumour and innuendo regarding this incident and the students’ characters. We will be protecting the privacy of these families and ask our entire community to also respect their privacy.
We hope, especially given that we are a small community, that we are able to work together to educate and protect our students. With that being said, if you would like to share any concerns or information you might have relating to this topic, please contact the College’s Secondary Leadership Team.