The Government Wants to Drug Test Your Sixth Grader
January 12, 2011 by Joe Murray
Filed under Current Events, student rights
A New Jersey school district is considering a proposal that would require Sixth graders to undergo random drug tests while attending school. Proponents of the proposal state the measure would deter kids from engaging in questionable behavior and stress the program would be voluntary.
Students in Belvidere, NJ participating in the program would not be turned over to the police if they test positive, nor would they be suspended. As reported by CBS New York:
The district said it wants to convey a similar message to its students — that the tests are not about punishment, but about getting help to those who may be experimenting with drugs.
But understanding schools are notoriously bad at maintaining student privacy (an Pennsylvania school recently got in trouble for spying on students via laptops), is this a smart move? And should parents give the schools authority to randomly drug test their kids?
