Principal promises school is drug-free

PROBLEM SOLVED: Principal Craig Monaghan says there is no drug problem at Westlake Boys High School.

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There is no drug problem at Westlake Boys High School, says its headmaster Craig Monaghan.

He is defending the school after a two-week investigation found 12 year 10 pupils using or dealing cannabis.

The pupils were excluded from the school for "gross misconduct".

Mr Monaghan guarantees there are no more Westlake students using drugs in school.

"I’m 100 percent certain there are no drugs left in the school.

"If anything, the reason this has happened is because we are ridiculously proactive. I didn’t want to stop until all the boys involved were gone."

He has received a series of emails from parents supporting his tough stance on drugs.

That stance isn’t going to change, he says.

"Zero tolerance is zero tolerance and we’ll continue to do as we’ve always done.

"People want me to have high standards. That’s why we have a waiting list of 300."

North Shore police area commander inspector Les Paterson says it appears Westlake has acted "appropriately and diligently".

He says police would arguably have provided a better level of investigation, but the school seems to have done well on its own.

It is almost impossible to prevent students getting drugs into schools, he says.

"What can we do – set up border patrols?

"If anyone is going to say they’re upset that cannabis gets into schools at all then they’re almost in a place of unreality.

"If it gets into prisons, with some of the tightest security measures in the world in place, then how will we stop it getting into schools?"

Police will be giving Westlake advice and support to help it maintain a drug-free learning environment, says Mr Paterson.

Schools need to rely on education, common sense and good parenting to stop drugs problems, he says.

"It would be draconian and bizarre to go down the route they have in the United States where you basically get searched on your way in.

"Our experience is that Westlake Boys High is a very well managed operation."

Westlake launched an investigation about two and-a-half weeks ago after a tip-off.

Mr Monaghan conducted a series of interviews that ended with 16 pupils going before the school’s board of trustees.

Twelve of those were excluded while four were allowed to remain in school on strict conditions.