Programme to prohibit narcotics in schools from next week onwards
Education Minister Susil Premajayantha has called for the implementation of a programme to prevent narcotics reaching schools. “Drugs can now be distributed to school children like toffees,” Dr. Premajayantha said recently, while addressing the students, teachers and alumni of D.S. Senanayake College in Colombo 10. Then addressing the school development committee, he subsequently put forward the idea of senior staff members checking the bags of school children every morning. He said this should be done especially in the schools of and near urban areas.
He said by the following week, it was expected that all provincial education directors would run this test in their schools according to a fixed method as “such activities take place in extremely discreet ways,” and it was advised that all staff members must be on the cautious lookout. The inconspicuous activities of drug dealing was evidently due to the punishments granted in the Dangerous Medicine Bill where it had been clearly stated that a life sentence would be given to anyone found with more than two grammes of heroin.
However, amendments regarding newer drugs such as ice had not been established thus far, and such drugs were acting as substitutes for illegal drugs. This was an issue the Legal Department was currently assessing. Nonetheless, the drugs still find ways to reach the hands of schoolchildren, said the Minister. The Minister said if these methods reach the North Western province and Kollonnawa areas, the situation is likely to escalate. “It is our duty to protect our children,” he said, emphasising that throughout the following weeks, Zoom meetings to implement curriculums bringing forth awareness and appointing advisory teachers to tackle various obstacles were some steps that should be tactfully carried out. Present at this event, was the National Director of Schools Kithsiri Liyanage and D.S. Senanayake College Principal Prasantha Udumuhandhiram.
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