SCHOOL dropouts are leading to increased unemployment and pushing many young people towards trafficking and illicit cultivation of drugs.
This was raised by the Fiji Council of Social Services executive director Vani Catanasiga in a workshop organised by the Asia Foundation and Pacific Island News Association.
Ms Catanasiga said in many rural farming communities, where educational resources are often limited, students tend to drop out of school.
“In some farming communities, high rates of school dropout, contribute to unemployment and then equally pushing their youth towards supporting family farms,” she said.
She said the lack of education, combined with limited job opportunities, was creating a challenging environment for young people.
“Some youth were graduating from drug use to drug trafficking because they were tilling the land for drug use.”
This issue, she argues, demands a collective effort from all sectors of society to address it effectively.
In response, the permanent secretary for Education Selina Kuruleca said they would seek more information from Ms Catanasiga regarding this case.
Ms Kuruleca said they then would verify the information before making any further comments to the media.
