The Assistant Commissioner of Police, Livai Driu, has confirmed that three students from a well-known Tailevu school were taken in for questioning due to allegations of drug use on school grounds. The students were brought to a nearby police station by teachers a few weeks after the incident, with their parents subsequently notified.
This situation has raised concerns among parents, prompting one to urge the Government to investigate what seems to be a growing issue within the school system. Speaking anonymously to The Fiji Times for his child’s safety, the parent recounted a recent Parent and Teachers Association (PTA) meeting where it was disclosed that some students were found under the influence of drugs, suspected to be methamphetamine, on school premises.
Parents learned that these students were seen engaging in erratic behavior, including dancing in the dormitory. Another parent shared an experience of spending a night in a nearby village, overlooking the school, to observe how these drugs might be entering the campus. He alleged that there was a lack of security, with vehicles entering and leaving the school grounds at all hours without any checks.
The concerned parent reported seeing senior students meet with these vehicles and returning to their dormitories. He stated that this parent witnessed students accessing a wooden chest filled with items, including equipment, money, and illegal substances, suggesting either inadequate supervision or negligence from teachers.
Moreover, this parent claimed that his child indicated teachers sometimes asked students to prepare kava on weekends. “We are deeply worried because this raises questions about whether teachers are fulfilling their responsibilities in supervising our children,” he expressed. “When we send our kids there, we trust the school and teachers to take care of them. With all these revelations, it’s extremely concerning, particularly as we live far away.”
In a related concern, the Pacific Recycling Foundation issued a statement in August regarding the discovery of needles and syringes in schools where they have recycling programs.