Assistant Commissioner of Police Livai Driu has confirmed that three students from a well-known school in Tailevu were questioned for allegedly using drugs on the school grounds. Teachers reported the students to a nearby police station weeks after the incident, and steps were taken to notify their parents.
This incident has raised alarms among parents, with one expressing concern that drug use is becoming a troubling trend within the school environment. Speaking anonymously for the safety of his child, a parent revealed that during a recent Parent and Teachers Association (PTA) meeting, it was disclosed to attendees that some students were found under the influence of drugs, suspected to be methamphetamine.
Parents learned that the students were observed engaging in erratic behavior and dancing in the dormitory. Another parent shared that he had spent an evening at a nearby village overlooking the school to investigate how these substances were being smuggled onto the campus.
According to this parent, there was a lack of security as vehicles entered and left the school grounds, even late at night, without any checks. He claimed to have seen senior students leaving the school to meet with individuals in cars and later returning to the dormitories.
The concerned parent reported witnessing the students opening a wooden chest that contained drug paraphernalia, money, and illegal substances. He believes that this situation is a result of insufficient supervision or teachers ignoring the activities occurring under their noses.
Furthermore, he mentioned that his child indicated that teachers often encourage students to prepare kava on weekends.
“We are very worried because this raises questions about whether the teachers are effectively supervising our children,” he stated. “When we send our kids there, we trust the school and the staff to take care of them. With these revelations, we are extremely concerned, especially since we live far away from the school.”
In August, the Pacific Recycling Foundation raised similar concerns after discovering needles and syringes at schools they partner with for recycling programs.