Riya Mala 
[Source: Edutopia]
Education Minister Aseri Radrodro says they are working with agencies, especially the Fiji Police, to identify “drug red zone” schools in need of counsellors.
He made this comment after Opposition Member of Parliament Hem Chand raised concerns over the increasing number of drug-related cases among primary school students.
Chand says that of 3,500 reported cases from previous years, 1,000 involve primary schools and 2,500 involve secondary schools.
The Opposition MP is urging the government to provide more trained counsellors to tackle the drug problem among children.
“Are there plans to have counsellors in clusters so that these counsellors can provide assistance to the schools in a cluster, where we’ll have fewer schools for a counsellor, so that the counsellors can provide counselling to students and also train the teachers?”
The Education Minister says they are working with the National Advisory Council for Substance Abuse to spot signs of drug use and trafficking in schools.
“Some schools have also taken the initiative, through their school management, by taking proactive measures in the monitoring of unauthorised activities in schools, including the safety and security of the school, to install CCTVs to monitor students’ activities and movements.”
Radrodro adds that over the last fiscal year, training programs were held in 162 secondary schools and 46 primary schools.
The Ministry says that to implement various measures, they need consent from parents, and that combating these challenges requires a collective effort from all relevant stakeholders.
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