School governors feel unprepared for handling drug abuse among pupils, claims a survey.

Even though up to 20,000 pupils a year are estimated to be suspended in drug-related incidents, the survey says that only half of school governors have received training in tackling drug problems.

Anti-drugs charity, the Standing Conference on Drugs Abuse, says that its survey shows that many governors are concerned at the lack of training in how to respond to drug incidents in schools.

Where there is training, the survey says that this can be of "variable" quality, with particular shortages of training in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Among the issues on which governors want advice are whether there should be automatic expulsions of children caught with drugs in school or whether they should follow government guidance and have a more "flexible" approach which keeps pupils within schools.

The survey was published at a drugs conference attended by the Education Minister Jacqui Smith, at which a drugs training programme was launched.

"Governors play a vital part in setting the ethos of the school and I know that some may feel they are lacking in information in this area.

"This programme will provide a very important opportunity for governors and senior managers to get appropriate training about best practice and effective management of drug-related incidents," said the minister