The Ministry of Education is working closely with the Office of the Solicitor General to develop innovative interventions to tackle drug-related incidents in schools.

Permanent Secretary Selina Kuruleca highlighted this during their submissions to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts on the 2022 Audit Report on Social Services Sector.

The Ministry had earlier stated that they are exploring saliva and mucus testing in place of blood and urine tests for children to address drug abuse and were in discussions with the Solicitor General to evaluate the testing methods.

She says 3,519 students have been involved in recent drug-related incidents, a figure that highlights the urgency of the situation.

The Permanent Secretary also emphasized the importance of testing and referrals, especially in cases where students test positive.

“If Edwin is tested and he is negative all the other kids over here are going to be testing him. So that’s another whole scenario of bullying that will now occur because he’s been pointed out that he had to go for drug testing. So we’re working very closely with the Office of the Solicitor General in terms of coming up with some interventions that are within the legislation but thinking outside the box of what we normally do.”

Permanent Secretary Selina Kuruleca [middle] during their submissions to the Standing Committee [Source: Parliament of the Republic of Fiji/Facebook]

Kuruleca says the Ministry is committed to developing interventions that not only align with existing legislation but also address the practical challenges schools face in dealing with drug-related issues.