Head teachers to get powers to 'stop and search' for drugs

By Greg Hurst
The Times
Apr. 09, 2008

Schools are set to to be given further powers to search pupils for drugs, alcohol and stolen goods to help head teachers to enforce discipline among the most disruptive students.

Ed Balls, the Children’s Secretary, wrote yesterday to Sir Alan Steers, the head of a review of behaviour in schools, asking for advice on how such powers could be introduced most effectively. Head teachers are already able to search pupils for guns or knives under the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006, which also allows them to make random searches or to install walk-through metal detectors.

Sir Alan’s initial review proposals included a requirement that all state schools should take a share of disruptive pupils and if they expel students they should accept others who have been excluded from neighbouring schools on a “one out, one in” basis.

Mr Balls also yesterday attacked as “wrongheaded” the call by the National Union of Teachers to campaign against military recruitment by the Armed Forces in schools.