Random drug testing should be brought into the classroom, Tony Blair has said.

Government Response: Department for Education and Skills

A spokesman said: "Drugs can have a devastating impact on young people's lives - even small amounts can affect their health and education, and prevent them from reaching their full potential. We believe that Heads should have every tool in the box when it comes to fighting the war drugs.

"Our new guidance sets out a wide range of drugs education and prevention measures which we would expect Heads to tailor to suit local circumstances at their professional discretion - one of these is the use of random drugs testing in schools.

"The guidance makes clear that this can be done only after consultation with police and parents. They will have to make clear in their school policy that random testing will be used. This guidance has been produced after extensive consultation with teaching profession, police chiefs and officers and anti-drug groups."

Party Response: Conservative Party

Tim Collins, shadow education secretary, said: "This is another headline grabbing plan launched without proper consultation with either teachers or drug experts.

"The government's drugs policy is desperately confusing and contradictory. Only recently the government downgraded cannabis from Class B to Class C status, leaving many school children with the impression that the drug is less dangerous than it is, despite recent research linking the drug to mental illness. This latest initiative seems inconsistent."

Forum Response: Professional Association of Teachers

Jean Gemmell, PAT general secretary, said: "I cannot see how it could work and, as a former head and someone who represents teachers, it is adding to teachers' burden of social responsibility to the point that it becomes untenable.

"Litigation is rife when teachers are deemed to have done anything intrusive that parents or young people are not happy with."

Forum Response: Association of Teachers and Lecturers

Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of the ATL, said: “This is yet another scheme which looks good on paper but would be extremely complex to carry out. The problem with random testing is that it crosses the boundaries of the professional relationship teachers have with their pupils and it may result in the unintended consequence of a breakdown of trust between them.