THE Ministry of Education is providing psychosocial support training to child protection officers in schools and counselling for students who are abusing drugs, says permanent secretary for the Education Ministry Selina Kuruleca.
She submitted this response to the Standing Committee on Social Affairs that reviewed the Ministry for Education, Heritage and Arts annual reports for the years 2018 to 2021.
Ms Kuruleca said providing psychosocial support training was critical for recovery and healing.
“Psychosocial support can help promote holistic child and adolescent development, including physical, emotional and social development,” she said.
“Providing psychosocial support to a child towards recovery from traumatic events involves understanding the child’s emotional reactions through observation and monitoring; decreasing emotional distress by listening, reassuring and modelling healthy behaviour for the child. Psychosocial support also helps to unmask the different reasons that push the child to use drugs which can range from curiosity, experimentation, coping skills to mask the trauma due to family or personal problems they encounter.”
She said heads of schools had been ordered to handle with care any syringes found on school premises.
“Since the advent of white drugs like methamphetamine, and cocaine, and the use of syringes as a mode of drug transmission in the communities, all HOS have also been reminded to handle this equipment with full protective care.”
