Teachers and university lecturers are raising serious concerns about drug use among school children, saying the problem is now affecting even primary school students.

The issue was highlighted during budget consultations at Fiji National University in Nasinu last night, where educators called for urgent government action.
Lecturer Mosese Natuilagilagi says teachers are facing many challenges in classrooms. He added that the problem is getting worse, putting more pressure on teachers especially trainees and questioned whether the national budget is doing enough to address these serious issues.

“And now, when we teach our teachers, in-service teachers, they are facing this problem of students taking drugs as early as primary. We do this, and it’s so difficult. We can’t do it alone. And here, we have a School of Education. We are trying to do what we can, and our hands are tied.”

In response, Minister for Finance Esrom Immanuel says the government has put in place not only funding but also structures to help prevent the spread of drugs and HIV for the time being. Regarding drugs, he noted that a narcotics bureau is being set up, but challenges remain, and it will take time to become fully operational.

Immanuel adds that Fiji is receiving support from Australia and New Zealand, but admitted these issues were not properly addressed in the past and have worsened.

“We can’t do compulsory testing, which we would like to, so regulatory measures will need to be established first. Similarly with drugs. However, we have allocated a substantial amount of money, together with assistance from our partners—the governments of Australia and New Zealand—to help us in this regard.”

He further explained that while efforts are focused on prevention, challenges around rights, lack of accurate data, and limits on compulsory testing especially for HIV continue to slow progress despite significant funding being allocated.