Students of Dilkusha Boys Primary School in Nausori are being targeted by drug peddlers and users.
This, says head teacher, Paiata Faga Savukiono had resulted in the school taking a proactive approach.
Mr Savukiono said he found out about their students encounter with drug peddlers while walking with students to Nausori Town.
He said young boys were seen under the Nausori Bridge doing drugs.
“When I saw what was happening that day, I feared for the safety of my students, so we decided to get school buses just to take them from school to Nausori,” Mr Savukiono said.
“You know young boys are easily tempted by things and if we are not careful, our students might end up there under the bridge.”
Mr Savukiono said when he joined the school in 2021, he noticed that the school was a centre for drug peddlers, and students were used to transport drugs.
“We always do random spot checks, and one time a young boy was caught with drugs, but he was not aware of it because he was told to carry it, and someone would pick it up from him after school.”
He said the school was closely working with a team at the Nausori Police Station to ensure that students were protected and educated on drugs.
Permanent secretary for Ministry of Education Selina Kuruleca said they welcomed these initiatives that ensured the safety of students.
“The safety of each student is in the hands of the head of schools and such initiative is important because at the end of the day, our students are safe,” Ms Kuruleca said.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Operations, (ACP) Livai Driu said they had launched a program in most schools around Fiji, called the Scholastic Crime Stoppers program to safeguard students and raise awareness on drugs.
“This program runs anonymously and acts as an informant because there have been a lot of reports about students being used as drug peddlers and also to raise awareness,” he said.
ACP Driu commended the school’s proactive stance on student safety and is calling on parents to be more vigilant.
“The onus is on the parents now because teachers and police are coming together to ensure that students are safe and educated on the dangers of drugs.”
In Parliament last week, Assistant Minster for Education Iliesa Vanawalu said two per cent of the 3500 drug related cases received by the National Substance Abuse Advisory Council involved students.
He said the council had noticed a gradual increase in three years of drug related cases involving students.
