Four primary school students were reportedly caught smoking marijuana during a recent athletics event and have since received counseling. Assistant Commissioner of Police Operations Livai Driu confirmed the incident and emphasized the necessity for parents and guardians to engage in ongoing discussions about the serious repercussions of drug use with their children.
The students were discovered with smoking devices in a washroom and were initially referred to the security personnel at the venue before police were notified. ACP Driu stated that the parents of the students were informed and that counseling was provided to address the consequences of their actions.
He urged parents to continuously guide their children during these formative years, suggesting that without proper guidance, youngsters might seek advice from unreliable sources, potentially leading them down harmful paths.
In a related development, Muniappa Goundar, the general secretary of the Fiji Teachers Union, is advocating for an increase in the number of school counselors following this incident. He expressed his concern, highlighting the vital role counselors play in students’ learning, behavior, development, and decision-making.
Goundar stressed that counseling is essential and noted the inadequacy of having only one counselor per division for multiple schools, suggesting the overwhelming workload on such limited staff. He called for a comprehensive approach to educate students about the dangers of drugs, advocating for its inclusion in the school curriculum.