PHILIPSBURG--The Ministry of Education, Culture Youth and Sports (ECYS), via its Inspection arm and Truancy Officers, is currently coordinating a meeting with educational facilities that have indicated that they are encountering issues with drugs in their respective schools.
Efforts will be made to also include schools that have not indicated that this is an issue.
Minister of Education Silveria Jacobs told reporters at a press conference on Wednesday that it is her priority to set a uniform discipline policy on how to deal with issues that relate to drugs in schools.
She said all schools had individual policies on how to deal with the issue, but the Ministry has to be consulted on matters such as suspensions. The Ministry will be working with schools create uniform preventative measures. An awareness campaign also will be launched.
The meeting being organised by the Ministry is to determine what the main cases are and how schools can best move forward. She said some schools had “not rung the bell” on the drug problem on their grounds and the intention was to include these institutions also. “We want to include them in the talks to see what their best practices are to minimise the effects of drugs in schools,” she said.
ECYS also wants to inform the populace and everyone affiliated with the school system of the drug Molly (ecstasy), which police recently indicated is a problem in schools, and adulterants.
Jacobs said these drugs were now being made in a “more attractive” form for children. “This is a very dangerous drug that can cause some serious health issues and all parents, through the Web, should get themselves informed about the different things that are out there,” she said. “Youngsters are discussing this and as Minister of Education, I beg you to get to know the facts of these drugs – not just molly and marijuana, but all drugs out there, because these drugs have serious influences on the rest of your life.”
Molly or MDMA (an acronym for 3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine) is a psychoactive drug of the substituted methylenedioxyphenethylamine and substituted amphetamine classes of drugs that is consumed primarily for its euphoric and empathogenic effects.
MDMA has become widely known as ecstasy, shortened to “E,” “X,” or “XTC,” usually referring to its tablet form, although these terms also may include the presence of possible adulterants. The United Kingdom (UK) term “Mandy” and the United States (US) term “Molly” colloquially refer to MDMA in a crystalline powder form that is thought to be free of adulterants.
Several schools also have reported finding bags of marijuana on their school premises and are unable to pin it on any child or student. The Daily Herald understands that some students hide the drug on the school premises.
Jacobs said several entities would have to be involved in this initiative, including Community Police Officers and Turning Point among others, to bring about awareness on the dangers of drugs and encourage youths to stay far from them.
