At least 156 students busted for illegal drugs
Lesedi Mkhutshwa | Tuesday March 28, 2023 06:00
There have been concerns about the increase in students' drug use and the escalating trends of learners consuming space cakes which are cookies and muffins containing marijuana.
In an interview with The Monitor this week, Mokgosi said of the worrisome figure (156), a total of 132 are boys while 24 are girls. He indicated that Setlalekgosi Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) tops with 28 cases followed by Mater Spei College with 27 cases. Both Mmei JSS and Goldmine JSS recorded 14 followed by Francistown Secondary School and Montsamaisa JSS with a recorded number of 13 each.
Furthermore, Tadabigwa JSS registered 10 cases, Donga JSS nine while Selolwe Hill JSS has the least number of recorded cases at three. Mokgosi said the presented statistics are for the students who were caught red-handed and with the growing trend, there is a likelihood of more incidents as there may be some who have not been caught yet. He stated that marijuana tops the list of illegal drugs used by secondary school students. Other drugs include cigarettes, space muffins, ARV pills and methcathinone also known on the street as 'cat'.
He also said the use of drugs by students is fuelled by different factors including easy availability of drugs. He suspected that every ward or street in different locations has a supplier. Mokgosi added that marijuana and cigarettes are relatively cheap and affordable as compared to other drugs. Dysfunctional families also lead to the alarming use of drugs by students, according to Mokgosi. “A good number of our children grow up under very trying conditions. There are families where there is absence of a father figure, neglect by parents and identity crises. Such conditions lead to unresolved social issues leading to anger and a state of hopelessness,” he said. “Some of the students use drugs due to peer pressure, loneliness and boredom more especially during the school breaks,” he said.
The regional director said during school break some of the students rarely engage in meaningful or rewarding activities and thus leaves them with ample time to explore and venture into illegal activities. “Some of the students engage in drugs as a result of being bullied or as a way of standing against their bullies whilst for others it is just instant gratification. This usually starts with experimenting with friends,” Mokgosi said. He said they have scaled up a robust Guidance and Counselling (G&C) syllabus with varying topics including but not limited to harmful effects of drugs, peer pressure, just to mention but a few to address the matter.
Additionally, he stated that schools have clubs such as PACT that address emerging issues and the school G&C has a provision for invited motivational speakers. “There are other stakeholders like in their case, the Youth Impact, a NGO which has a programme for our schools called Zone,” he added. Mokgosi stated that the programme teaches self-discipline, peer pressure and the importance of making or having an independent mind. So far through the programme, Mokgosi said they have covered 98% of all the schools. Mokgosi also noted that the war on drugs can never be won by the schools as it needs a collective collaboration from everybody.
Therefore he said there was a need to cut the supplier chain or else their children will continue to access drugs at ease. National PTA chairperson Edward Moganana echoed the same sentiments as Mokgosi. He said they are concerned about the alarming number of students who are involved in drugs at schools. He observed that drugs have found their way into the schools across the country. Moganana indicated that drug dealers have started targeting students, especially those in secondary school to distribute drugs in schools.
“The same dealers have found a way to distribute marijuana by adding the drug to baking ingredients to make muffins, fat cakes, scones and others. After making the space muffins, they sell them to students,” he pointed out. After realising the growing trend, he said they have recommended for all the schools to build tuck shops which will be monitored by the PTAs.
Moganana said they have discovered that some parents are negligent and do not monitor their children. He called on parents to be good role models and be involved in their children’s lives in order to curb the use of drugs by students. The National PTA chairperson said parents need to set rules and expectations and teach them about the consequences for breaking them.