No place in schools for repeat drug, alcohol abusers, says Steenkamp

Education minister Sanet Steenkamp has warned that learners repeatedly caught abusing narcotics could be expelled from the formal education system, describing drug and alcohol abuse in schools as a “major concern”.

She said the ministry may eventually tell repeat offenders they no longer have a place in formal education.

“At some point, the ministry will have to take a firm stance and say, well, you have been given as a learner several chances. You do not have a place any longer in formal education,” she said on Friday.

Speaking at an engagement between the standing committee on education, youth, civic relations and community development and the education ministry, Steenkamp said the ministry is approaching a breaking point.

“When a child is found with hard drugs in their bloodstream, the school environment is no longer safe for that learner or others,” the minister said, stressing that drug use in schools is not only a disciplinary issue but also a serious safety concern.

“These are the difficult decisions the ministry will need to take. While our aim is to educate every child, regardless of their background, parents and learners must understand that there are consequences when drugs are found at school.”

Steenkamp stressed that banning drug users from school will require backing from parents, communities and political leaders across all levels.

The ministry is working closely with the Namibian Police and the gender equality ministry, as well as social workers, Steenkamp explained.

"These teams have been trained under the 'Keep Me Safe' campaign, which is rolled out in regions where such issues are prevalent and where schools frequently report problems. In such cases, a full government-led team, accompanied by Unicef, is deployed,” she said.

The minister noted that two devices for drug testing have been approved by the health ministry.

“The procurement of these devices will be left to schools, as needs are context-based and depend on the number of devices each school requires.”

Discipline concerns

Steenkamp added that at present, teachers already feel they are not adequately protected when it comes to a lack of learner discipline.

“This is partly due to the regrettable behaviour of some parents who intimidate teachers or confront them at schools instead of working collaboratively to address disciplinary issues," she said.

She said drug and alcohol abuse requires support and understanding, but the ministry can no longer afford to be as lenient as it has been.

"This is something that requires a full understanding, but we cannot continue to be as flexible as we have been."

In January, The Namibian reported that the regional director of education, Sophia Fredericks, blamed the region’s poor academic performance on drug and alcohol abuse among pupils, as well as teacher absenteeism.

“Schools in the Kunene region are challenged with ill-disciplined pupils who are prone to drug and alcohol [abuse] and who do not show up to school because they are busy in bars until midnight,” Fredericks told The Namibian.

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