Cocaine was found inside the schoolbag of a five-year-old girl at the prestigious Glasgow Academy, leading to police and social services being alerted. The private school, which charges fees of up to £16,660 a year for pupils aged 3 to 18, discovered the class-A drug during a routine check.
Incident Details and Response
The incident is believed to have occurred weeks ago, but details have only recently emerged, according to the Scottish Daily Mail. A source close to the school said: “To say this has rocked everyone in the school is an understatement. The main concern is for the child. We dread to think what might have happened had the child accidentally tasted the substance or even shared it with others. The outcome could have been devastating. We all hope the school board and management team are taking the matter seriously.”
School Profile and Context
Glasgow Academy operates three campuses across Glasgow and is one of the top-performing independent schools in Scotland for SQA Higher Results. The campus in the Newlands area of the city caters for primary one to four pupils. The Scottish Health Survey has revealed that cocaine use among adults in the most affluent areas of Scotland has doubled from 2% in 2021 to 4% in 2023.
Official Statement
A spokesman for Glasgow Academy stated: “We do not comment on matters relating to individual children. Where any concern is raised, we act on it promptly and work closely with families and relevant authorities to keep every child in our care safe.”
