Test pupils for drugs before admission – Lesufi

Gauteng battling huge problem, says Lesufi

If Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi has his way, all pupils will undergo drug testing before being admitted at high school.

Lesufi believes this could help address the drug problem which has besieged schools, especially those in Gauteng.

In an exclusive interview with Sowetan, Lesufi said existing regulations were unfortunately “meant for goodbehaving learners”.

“When you start schooling at Grade 1, we ask you for an immunisation card so that we know that you’re immunised but when you go to a high school – where we have a big drug problem – we don’t ask you for drug testing,” Lesufi said.

Section 8A of the South African Schools Act allows schools to conduct random searches, seizure and drug testing at schools.

However, Lesufi said that currently, school tests were only done once something suspicious had taken place. “I really believe we need to be proactive; let’s have acceptable tests, done in a very humane way so that we don’t infringe on human rights.”

Lebogang Montjane, the executive director of the Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa (Isasa), said they were against the MEC’s proposal.

Isasa believed it would infringe on a learner’s right to privacy. “That drug-free certificate would only indicate that the learner was drugfree at the time when tests were conducted,” Montjane said, adding that the system currently used at their schools was fair and effective.

Wits University’s professor Mary Metcalfe said: “The problem of drug abuse needs a comprehensive schoolfamily-community collaboration of which testing for drugs might be an important part of, but it cannot be an isolated intervention.”

Anti Drug Alliance SA chief executive Quintin van Kerken said: “We find the suggestion by Mr Lesufi to be uninformed and a clear invasion of both privacy and human rights.”

The South African National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence’s national coordinator Louina le Roux said the drug problem at high school was way too big and they supported Lesufi’s suggestion.

However, they would like testing to be linked with treatment in instances where learners tested positive.

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga said she welcomed any intervention aimed at saving pupils from drugs.

/ VATHISWA RUSELO Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi says if he had his way, all pupils would undergo drug testing before being admitted at high school.