adminLatwell Nyangu
A NUMBER of boarding schools have banned food and water, brought from home, amid concerns some students were using foodstuffs to make drugs.
Apart from other known drugs, some school authorities claim they have picked intelligence that foodstuffs, which students bring in, widely known as tuck, were being used in the production of homemade drugs.
A number of parents told H-Metro that they were told, in no uncertain terms, that the rules had changed and students were no longer allowed to bring in their own supplementary foodstuffs.
Riverton School in Masvingo is one of the schools which have taken a hard line stance on the bringing in of tuck by students.
Other parents claim this was also being implemented by the authorities at Wise Owl school.
No comment could be obtained from the authorities at the schools named by the parents who contacted H-Metro.
One of the parents said:
“I was told by the leaders at my child’s boarding school that things had changed and he would not be allowed, just like the other students, to bring in tuck anymore.
“The school authorities said their investigations revealed that some foodstuffs were being converted into drugs by some of the students.
“Obviously, the drugs issue is being taken seriously by the school authorities and they are trying to ensure that they close all the loopholes.
“Our students have become quite experimental and along the way they must have found out that if they combine this and that it can produce something that can make them high.
“I thought it was only at my kid’s school but I hear that other schools have followed suit and they are no longer allowing tuck and are even hiking fees to cater for everything.
“Some school authorities are not even allowing water to get inside their premises.
“It’s all related to this issue of drugs, which have become a menace.”
Another parent said banning students from bringing their own food would not work, as they were still likely to smuggle foodstuffs.
“They will still smuggle food if they are making drugs from mixing pills and cereals.
“Mapiritsi acho akushandiswa, ndeaye anonzi mangemba (Valium).
“The students are becoming too experimental.
“Some are mixing weed and foodstuffs, so these are some of the reasons the schools are banning tuck.”
Online Reporter