3,600 drug-related cases in schools – Education Minister

Drug-related incidents remain a concern for the Ministry of Education, with 3,627 cases recorded in 2023.

This was revealed by Minister for Education Aseri Radrodro while responding to the 2025/2026 National Budget in Parliament.

He says the Ministry is concerned about the rising trend in drug-related cases from 2020 to 2023.

Radrodro highlights that only 1.7 percent of students were involved in these incidents, with most cases linked to tobacco products such as suki and cigarettes.

He adds the Ministry, in collaboration with the National Substance Abuse Advisory Council and other stakeholders, continues to run annual awareness programs.

They are also prioritizing the re-engagement of school chaplains to help address social issues such as drugs, truancy, bullying, and teenage pregnancy.

The Minister further revealed that the current total student enrolment from early childhood education, primary, and secondary schools stands at around 242,959—an increase of 1,160 students compared to 239,843 last year.

Radrodro says this shows that more children are attending school, and they hope this upward trend continues with the support of the 2025/2026 budget