Drug-test results will not affect grade for conduct, official says
Pupils' drug-test results would not affect conduct grades on their report cards, as all information was confidential under the voluntary drug-testing scheme, an education official said yesterday.
A parent, named only as Mr Chan, whose daughter is 16, said he was worried that pupils' conduct grading might be affected if they tested positive under the scheme. He was talking to education undersecretary Kenneth Chen Wei-on on a phone-in programme.
'Since only principals and class teachers are informed about the test results and they must keep the results confidential, then what should the class teachers do when they have to grade the concerned student's conduct?' Chan asked. 'What if the student has always been a good student with excellent academic results and used to get good grades for conduct? Will the class teacher put down C or D for conduct after knowing drug-test results? Is there a guideline for teachers?'
Chen said that what schools cared most about was how to help a pupil quit the drug habit.
If a pupil with a good academic performance was experiencing drug problems, the pupil could have some other problems and be seeking an escape from them, Chen said.
'The most important thing is how to help the student ... we are not aiming to expel students with drug problems or hand in information to the police. We will not disclose test-result information - not even in report cards,' he said.
Chen noted that every secondary school had its own guidelines about grading pupils' conduct.
About 22,000 pupils in 23 secondary schools in Tai Po are subject to voluntary drug tests under a pilot scheme that began last month.
Kwok Wing-cheung, who chairs the Association of Secondary School Heads, Tai Po District, said schools had to handle such issues case by case. 'We are here to educate students and help them lead a healthy life. This is the most important thing. We cannot just say students will be downgraded ... if they are caught doing this or that.'
The number of pupils seeking help from the Cheer Lutheran Centre rose from about 20 in July and August last year to 40 in that period this year.
'Most of the cases were referred to us by social workers based in schools months before the launch of the drug-testing scheme in all secondary schools in Tai Po,' centre head Tang Kwok-hei said.
The centre, which serves young drug users in Tai Po and North District, will conduct drug-testing at schools under the scheme next month and is now hiring nurses and social workers.
