VIDEO: Pupils tested positive for drugs
Police raid high school in an attempt to rid the school of illegal substances.
The Wonderboompoort and Tshwane metro police swooped on Hillview High School in the Moot on Thursday morning in an attempt to rid the school of illegal substances.
Warrant officer Wanda Olivier, spokesperson for Wonderboompoort police, said four classrooms and 120 pupils were searched.
She said 12 urine tests were conducted and five pupils tested positive.
“One tested positive for methadone and amphetamines, which could be the result of medication, but the pupil confirmed he had not used any medication. Four other pupils tested positive for dagga.”
The police seized matches, a cherry bomb fire cracker and cigar papers. The cherry bombs are largely used to bomb dustbins and toilets at the school.
An employee from the school, who asked not to be named, said routine checks would be done throughout the year to ensure that the school was kept drug-free. He said the police visited the school twice last year and some pupils also tested positive.
He said dagga was the most common substance used.
Pupils had been warned that routine and surprise checks would continue.
Nanagolo Leopeng, spokesperson for the Department of Education, confirmed the drug search. “No weapons were found during the search. A number of pupils were taken for voluntarily urine test and five male pupils in Grade 9 and 10 tested positive. The school has requested parents of the affected pupils to place them in a rehabilitation programme and other interventions,” she said.
She said the police conducted two random searches at the school during 2014 and one male pupil was found in possession of dagga and six other pupils tested positive.
“When schools become suspicious of any activities on school premises, police are called in to conduct random searches and drug raids on school premises. Pupils who are found in possession of drugs or any illegal substance are taken through a disciplinary process and diversion programmes are designed for them should a need be identified.”
She said in addition to regular unannounced search and seizure operations done by schools in conjunction with the police and other law enforcement agencies, the Gauteng Department of Education is also combating drug related issues at schools through awareness campaigns, establishing a referral system for affected pupils and more.
“Reports from schools and police indicate that pupils themselves are bringing cigarettes and other substances on to the school premises, however schools may conduct themselves or with the assistance of police, random searches from time to time if there is a reasonable suspicion or reporting that such substance or dangerous weapons are being brought onto school premises,” Leopeng said.
She advised schools to be more vigilant and inspect what is being sold by vendors to pupils in and outside school premises as anecdotal reports suggest that this could also be a way for drugs to enter schools premises.
“All schools are required to report on a monthly basis through their district offices, incidences of drug and substance abuse for the purpose of enabling the department to develop the necessary intervention strategies. The increasing reports of disciplinary cases held in schools suggest the seriousness schools attach to drug and substance abuse,” she said.
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