Six pupils suspended over drug incidents at Campbell College

By Maria McCann

Six pupils at one of Northern Ireland's most prestigious schools have been suspended over drug related matters.

Campbell College says it's in connection to two isolated cannabis incidents before Easter.

The headmaster says they're working to educate and support pupils as to the dangers of drugs.

Mr Robert Robinson said:“We recently suspended 6 of our pupils due to two isolated incidents involving cannabis. Our policy around misconduct, especially concerning drugs, is robust and we work in very close collaboration with the Education Authority, Social Services, Education Welfare and, in particular, the PSNI to ensure we act appropriately and in the interest of the safety of all our pupils.

"We wrote to parents before Easter to inform them of the suspensions and we will continue to work in collaboration with parents and the relevant bodies to help educate and support all our pupils as to the dangers of drugs.

"As a school we believe in tackling these issues head on and we are not alone in this. All schools are working hard to support young people as they navigate their way through very difficult terrain. We are facing a very real societal problem at present with young teens exposed to a multiple of evils, mostly fuelled via social media.

"News reports have highlighted the increasingly challenging world in which our young people exist and the PSNI and the Education Authority have both witnessed a surge in drugs related incidents across the board for teenagers. Hence, the increasing need for all of us - schools, parents and the many organisations that work in this arena - to work together as we guide our young people towards making good choices.

"To this end we are working closely with a number of East Belfast Schools to deliver a programme of education and support and have already delivered workshops for parents and pupils on areas of concern.

"We as a school will continue to take a strong stand against misconduct involving drugs and will work collaboratively to help guide our young people through the ever increasing challenges they face. That is our role and as society throws more challenges at us we all have a duty to step up to the mark.”