Kgatleng District Council (KDC) chairperson, Daniel Molokwe has revealed that schools in Kgatleng are increasingly registering cases of the use of substances and drugs by students, both at primary and secondary levels.
He said significant numbers were registered at secondary schools over the last three years. “In 2021, during stop and search exercises, 57 boys and 11 girls were found in possession of dagga/marijuana/matekwane/cigarettes/alcohol.
In 2022, 103 boys and 15 girls were found in possession of drugs of different types and this year, 54 boys and 10 girls were discovered with the same drugs. During the same period, a total of 19 boys and two girls were found with drugs in primary schools.
This is worrisome as indulgence in drug abuse by students affects teaching and learning and ultimately compromises students’ academic performance,” Molokwe highlighted.
Furthermore, he said the scourge impacts negatively on the learners’ future. He commended key stakeholders such as schools’ Guidance and Counselling departments, Dikgosi, Botswana Police Service, Social and Community Development, District Health Management Team, Sbrana Hospital, BOSASNET and parents for assistance and concerted effort in addressing the issue.
He appealed to the district leadership to assist in engaging parents at the community level to closely monitor children’s movement and suspicious behavior for immediate engagement with key stakeholders to arrest the situation at an early stage.
