Studies show schools struggle with drugs

POLOKWANE – A call has been made by the DA to the police to increase their scope of random school searches to ensure that schools in the province are crime free zones.

This came last week after the department of education indicated in a written response to the DA’s questions in parliament, that the police were not conducting enough raids in schools.

In a written response, the department said that in the 2013/14 financial year, police conducted nine cluster visits while seven more clusters were not searched, leaving learners vulnerable to hostile schooling.

According to the department’s report, only 223 out of 3 829 schools in Limpopo had been searched in the last and current financial year.

DA Limpopo leader, Jacques Smalle said it was worrying to know that only 6% of school crime had been managed over this period. “We also call on the community to partner with the police in a bid to prevent and fight crime in our education system,” he said.

This concern was also backed up by studies that were conducted in Limpopo schools about the effects of drug abuse on learners.

The first study referred to was done by Hans E Onya from the school of public health at the University of Limpopo. The study was published in volume seven of the African Journal of Drug and Alcohol Studies in 2013, and indicated that learners between gr. 9 and gr. 11 used various drugs, depending on their ages. Some 1 570 learners were involved in the study.

The second study was on drug and alcohol abuse and its effects on crime in secondary schools in the province in 2014. This study was done by the then department of safety, security and liaison’s research business unit.

Through this study, it emerged that at 90% of the schools, drug abuse and drug-related crime was a problem. Marijuana and Cat (cathinone) were the main drugs being used, the study showed.

Provincial police spokesperson, Col Ronél Otto said the Limpopo police had taken note of the study. She said the police could not just go and search a school. “We can only search a school if a search warrant has been approved by court, or if the school has asked us to come and search the premises,” Otto explained.

She said the police met on a monthly basis with representatives of each government department in a joint committee and worked together on solutions to the challenges that came up at these meetings.

Advice:

Any person who believes that they or a loved one may have a substance-abuse problem can contact the South African National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (Sanca) at the Far North Alcohol and Drug Centre in Polokwane. Sanca specialises in the rehabilitation of people who have a substance-abuse problem, and also offers support for their loved ones. The centre is situated at 33 Kerk Street in Polokwane, and can be contacted at (015) 295 3700.