Education ministry to hold anti-drugs drive
View(s):The education ministry is set to launch a major programme to prevent school children using narcotics and alcohol within school premises from next month, Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam said. The programme is aimed at discouraging school children from using narcotics, cigarettes and alcohol in the school premises and strengthening their capacity to turndown harmful things.
Mr. Kariyawasam said that a committee comprising 15 to 35 students will be set up in every school with the principal as the chief patron and the vice principal and PT teacher or any other teacher as patrons. Two people representing parents will also be included in the committee. Students who could provide leadership and are good at extra-curricular activities will be named to the committee.
“Though we have limitations in controlling children outside schools we are trying to do the best in schools to prevent children using drugs and alcohol. The programme will provide a counselling service as well for students who are in the habit of smoking, taking drugs or using liquor,” Mr. Kariyawasam said.
A comprehensive guideline on the programme has been issued by the Presidential Task Force on Drug Prevention and the Education Ministry which has already been distributed in schools.
A range of seminars, workshops and other programmes to educate students on the necessity of keeping away from tobacco, drugs and alcohol will be held.
Minister Kariyawasam explained that they would also be looking into issues of how the drugs and alcohol were reaching schools and take necessary action to prevent this.
The moves come amidst reports that a number of drug traffickers were operating around schools and selling drugs or substances with narcotics to school children.
Under the programme, when children are detected using drugs or alcohol steps will be taken to speak to them and direct them to counselling services, instead of the traditional methods of enforcing disciplinary action including removing them from school. - Damith Wickremasekara