The International Schools Review Forum

"Preachy attitudes".Each to their own. As i said. Why risk your career? If you can't live with the laws of a country (unfair as they may be) move to a one you can. As a guest of Thailand that's just how it is. Goes with the territory..

[quote="PsyGuy"] It should be no surprise that many asian countries mandate the death penalty for drug smugglers and dealers.[/quote]

Only approved smugglers, manufacturers, and growers exist in these countries. After all, the government officials and military leaders want to ensure they are all getting a piece of the action for their own off shore accounts.

If your government "approved" (sanctioned) then your not a smuggler, your a "distributor".

My school already does drug tests on students, students who are caught are suspended. So for teachers to think that it will not happen to them was silly and risky behaviour. But as I said before many of these teachers had been at the school for a long time, so they didn't expect what was coming, none of us did.

From the looks of things there could be a few more schools who got hit too because a bunch of positions have been advertised at other schools here and recruiting at this time of year is normally just filling up those last few gaps....

I think it is important that teachers realise there is always the possibility of being tested, especially in countries where there is the death penalty for importation and exportation of drugs of any kind.

I've worked with people before who like to use occasionally and they think nothing of it, but there is always the risk of being caught and they need to keep this in mind. Anybody who is surprised at people doing this has obviously not met many Canadians! A British colleague told me, when we were lined up for our test that there are statistics that say 20% of Brits have used pot, it would be the same for many western nations. We've all worked with these people who do it, it is just that they are discreet, well discretion doesn't mean you're not going to get caught out.

My sympathy for my colleagues is somewhat limited because this is Thailand and you just never know when the government is going to go on one of its clean up the schools crusades. Thai government school teachers were tested and failure meant that they were fired.

So just keep it in mind next time somebody offers you a joint at a .!

Spoke with a friend at the weekend that said the BIS in Phuket got hit with this last month - the details of how it was handled were almost farcical.

Bottom line from him - 10 teachers are quietly leaving at the end of term, and not being replaced.

"Convenient" that they choose this time of year to do the testing?

Yes, the new headmaster's ฿5 million, Apple computer initiative and lack of student numbers to cover the cost has absolutely nothing to do with it!

Of course, Im sure everything was above board. Random testing being of course, random and all.

edited.

HIV???

Illegal drugs are one thing but what's the connection with HIV? Is it against the law to have HIV in Indonesia or not declare a postive status etc.?

You arent eligible for a work permit or visa if your a foreigner and HIV positive. Though from my understanding, there is an exemption if you formally declare, your name goes on a list and you must tell any perspective employer. Employers are "strongly" encouraged to not hire employees who are on this list.

This is a horrible development if it is true. I have yet to see it in international schools. Teachers should fight it if possible and not just allow admin to bulldoze us like they have done in the USA. Now it is common policy and folks dont even question this horrible invasion of our personal privacy. It is just another way of schools diminishing our professional credibility.
:cry:

Hi Roberto,

Just curious...would you/have you worked in a school that has random drug testing for students?

@lifesnotosbad:

I have worked at a school that had done so. It didnt help matters. We lost some good students and created a negative environment in the school. To do this with staff or students must be justified. If there is a drug problem then you have to solve it. Testing is one way of doing it. There are other ways that are more efffective....EG. EDUCATION!! We are not police. If you are conducting testing to see if you have a problem, then you are a lousy administrator that doesnt know his kids or staff. It is also very expensive. I would argue it is never worth the price.

I have to agree, if you have drug issues in your school and you dont know, either your a blind admin, or you dont want to know. That said a number of schools have used drug testing as a way to get rid of teachers they dont want, but cant easily get rid of.

In China you cant get a work visa if you have HIV, and thats been around a long time, and China is one if not the the biggest employer of international teachers in the world.