dyton mupawaenda
Rumbidzayi Zinyuke-Senior Reporter
THE Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education wants urgent action from all stakeholders to fight the scourge of drug and substance abuse in schools.
Delivering a lecture at the Zimbabwe National Defence University on the role of education in nation building and development, Minister Torerayi Moyo said the abuse of drugs was having a negative effect on the quality of education.
“It is a well-known fact that drug and substance abuse is a big problem not only in Zimbabwe. It is a global problem and we have not been spared.
“That is the cancer of today and if we don’t take action now and come up with policies, we will allow our youths to continue abusing drugs. We have had cases of bullying in our schools, we have cases in Bulawayo where boys fight in the streets, students being killed by other students. Those are manifestations of drug and substance abuse.
“It is not confined to learners alone but a few teachers also do that. It is a big challenge and we have to work and collaborate to make sure that comes to an end. We need to come up with measures to reduce this problem,” he said.
It was critical that the country did not lower its moral bar in the face of stiff competition from various cultures.
Minister Moyo said education should be guided by a well-defined philosophy that brought the people together hence the curriculum framework recommended that ubuntu/unhu be adopted as the over-arching philosophy guiding the education system.
“Reports of local youths identified to be in a drunken stupor due to drug and substance abuse are widespread in the media in Zimbabwe and these paint a concerning picture.
“The Ministry, together with other line Ministries and other stakeholders are therefore rolling out programmes with the aim of providing both a comprehensive and integrated approach to address the menace in a whole of Government and society approach.
“Coupled with the drug and substance abuse are cases of school bullying which once in a while rears its ugly head in our schools. These twin evils which are counter-productive have no place in our schooling system,” he said.
Minister Moyo noted that the essence of education was to develop individuals so that they could become effective and efficient in what they do and also contribute to the advancement of the society where they live.
“Education plays a critical role in changing the behavioural patterns of citizens to the desired direction.
“In fact, education, not just passing through the four walls of the school system, produces tolerant and civil citizens who are able to understand and live with people from different ethnic, economic, religious and cultural backgrounds and other forms of identities. This therefore, fosters peace, security and national development,” he said.
Online Reporter