SCHOOLS in the country are reportedly concealing rampant drug and substance abuse by students to protect their reputation, NewsDay Weekender can reveal.
This comes as the country has been experiencing disturbing
reports of young people, including school children, engaging in alcohol, drug
and substance abuse.
The latest incident resulted in the expulsion of eight
Upper 6 pupils at the Roman Catholic Church-run Dominican Convent High School.
But teachers’ representatives yesterday said this was just
a tip of the iceberg as the problem is wide-spread at the country’s schools.
They lauded authorities at Dominican Convent for being
courageous to expose the drug abuse cases at their school in a statement on
Thursday.
The expelled pupils were said to have been involved in drug
use while attending a leadership seminar in Nyanga last week.
Information gathered by NewsDay Weekender reveals that
schools were actually recording a surge in drug abuse by pupils.
In some instances, the pupils allegedly bring drugs such as
dagga and crystal methamphetamine to schools, while authorities sweep the cases
under the carpet.
At private schools, learners who are mostly from rich
families, reportedly use high-end drugs such as cocaine and nicotine.
Primary and Secondary Education ministry spokesperson
Taungana Ndoro said the Dominican Convent High School case was “not unique”,
adding that schools and the ministry were handling the drug cases.
“If there are any cases anywhere, they are being managed,”
Ndoro said. “Claims that the problem is out of control is just speculation.
Some of the cases are happening in remote rural schools which do not reach the
media, but they are being handled. Every school has its own drug policy. The
school first rehabilitates and institutes corrective measures through guidance
and counselling sessions.
If it becomes habitual, the school will then consider
transfer or excluding the pupil. It has been happening for a long time. As for
the Dominican Convent issue, there is nothing unique about it. The ministry has
been dealing with those issues through and through. Expulsion is the last
resort after a vigorous process to ensure that the child can be rehabilitated.”
In June 2021, President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared a war
against drug dealers and established an inter-ministerial taskforce to deal
with the problem as there was a surge in drug abuse cases in the country.
An investigation carried out by NewsDay last year revealed
that children, as young as 11, were taking drugs, with mental institutions
recording a surge in dope consumption.
The investigation further revealed that citizens have been
raising concerns over the scourge, and that law enforcement agents were
actually targeting drug users instead of targeting drug peddlers who are mostly
the elite and politically-connected persons.
Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe president
Obert Masaraure said it was worrisome that drug abuse cases in schools had been
under-reported for a long time.
“The most worrying part is that drug abuse has haunted our
schools since the early 2000s and government hasn’t been taking substantive
action to deal with it. Drug lords and dealers are walking scot-free in the
neighbourhoods,” he said.
“The drug pandemic is killing our children and destroying
their future, which calls for firm and urgent action. It is important to
understand that in elite schools it is easy to deal with it because they have
resources, but the crisis hurts more in high density suburbs where the students
meet the drug dealers after school.”
Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe secretary-general
Raymond Majongwe said: “We have always raised concerns over lack of discipline
among pupils. There is a serious lack of instilling discipline on learners both
at schools and at home. What is worrisome is that a lot of noise is being made
because it happened at an elite school, but it has been happening at government
schools. No one has been bothering to raise an alarm until it happened at
schools where the high class people’s children go.”
In Bulawayo, police have conducted raids to control vuzu
parties, where pupils gather indoors and engage in beer drinking, drugs and
sex.
Recently, 16 youths from Entumbane were hospitalised after
taking drugs.
Zimbabwe Civil Liberties and Drug Network executive
director Wilson Box said in private schools, drug trafficking syndicates are
among learners.
“The issue of drug use is very rampant among school
children, especially in private schools where they are using high-end drugs
like cocaine and nicotine, among others. This is not being exposed because no
one is bothering to take up the issues. We have been invited by several parents
as Zimbabwe Civil Liberties and Drug Network after seeing unusual behaviour on
their children,” he said.
“These children have revealed that there are trafficking
syndicates, especially in private schools, to supply the drugs to the learners.
Unfortunately, the country’s laws penalise people found using the drugs and not
the source. That is why we have been advocating for amendment of our drug laws
to effectively control drug supply and usage in communities.” Newsday
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