The Minister for Policing and Communications, Ioane Naivalurua, has met with the Minister for Education, Aseri Radrodro, to strengthen school-based advocacy initiatives amid growing concerns about drug use among students.
A government statement said discussions focused on the need for early, targeted and sustained intervention, including identifying so-called red-zone schools that would benefit from more intensive prevention and advocacy programmes.
Both ministers agreed that proactive engagement at the school level is critical to addressing emerging risks facing young people.
Proposed measures include stronger involvement of the Fiji Police Force in school advocacy, daily community-policing messages broadcast on selected radio platforms, the use of billboards to reinforce drug-free messaging, and the re-establishment of the Domonivuli programme to raise awareness about the dangers of drug use.
The ministers also flagged emerging social concerns, notably reports of students becoming involved in drug selling, as well as the use of drugs for sports performance enhancement and recreational purposes—issues seen as posing serious risks to student health, safety and integrity in sport.
“School principals were encouraged to take leadership roles in tackling these challenges, with government schools expected to lead by example,” said the government statement.
Additional proposals included reviewing the school curriculum to better address drug-related issues, introducing counselling services, and strengthening monitoring mechanisms to assess the effectiveness of current advocacy efforts.
Both ministers reaffirmed the importance of a coordinated, whole-of-government approach to guide students towards positive futures and safeguard the wellbeing of young people nationwide.
