Dominican Convent drug bust just a tip of the iceb...

Dominican Convent drug bust just a tip of the iceberg

Gilbert Munetsi and Audrey Galawu

Dominican Convent is not unique in battling drug issues in school, but has focused the spotlight on a pandemic that is affecting almost all elite high cost schools, Zim Now can reveal.

The private Harare high school which issued a statement through its head Sr Mutsure, announcing that it has expelled eight students for drug issues at a leadership expedition, has implied that more expulsions could be on the way

“Investigations are still ongoing and we will not hesitate to weed out any more culprits to sanitise the school space,” wrote Sr Mutsure.

Zim Now got in touch with sources including school heads, teachers, administrators and parents at over 30 private schools across the country to check their experience with drugs.

Sources from 16 institutions had responded by time of publication and they all confirmed that drug incidents have happened at their schools over the past three years.

The sources also indicated that police reports are rarely made and even school records are sanitised so it is impossible to get accurate statistics on the extent of the problem.

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One teacher at a Harare school said the only thing unique about Dominican Convent is that they have opened up on the matter.

“Dominican Convent authorities must be applauded for making a stand against drugs and being brave enough to admit that there is a big problem at the school and they should not be branded a drug den.

“This thing is all over the schools, especially Trust schools, and everyone knows it. But schools, I mean heads, parents, governing boards, owners, everyone has been involved in keeping things covered,” the teacher said.

She said at her particular school, in the three incidents she is fully informed on, parents were summoned, talks were held, a number of students were suspended and only one was expelled. Expulsion happened after the student was caught out for the third time in the same term, she said.

The teacher said most authorities are worried about their reputation and afraid that they would lose quality learners if they come out into the open about drug use in their schools. She also believes that where possible, authorities at her school have turned a blind eye to the problem and only confront it when the drug use is too blatant.

She said competition for the brightest high achievers whose families can afford the steep fees is high, hence until Dominican Convent’s shock move, no school has been prepared to declare the drug problem.

A school head from another private school in Harare said that schools are trying their best but parents are the ones who are allowing their kids to become drug addicts.

“The school can only do so much. But if there is no effective parenting at home, we can’t do much. Children need discipline, so when parents are not cooperative, the school cannot help that learner,” the head said. He indicated that parents become defensive instead of being open to finding the best way to help affected students.

Sr Mutsure appears to share the same sentiments as she explicitly pointed out in her statement:

“I believe that school officials’ efforts to protect students from the dangers of substance abuse are sometimes hampered by parents and community members in denial about the pervasiveness of the problem and the potential for any child to succumb to the lure of drugs.”

Another head said the financial advantage of the learners at the elite schools is a big factor in the drug issue.

“We talk to other institutions and I know that it is not only my school that is facing the problem. It is now a pandemic. We are convinced that drug dealers are deliberately target our schools because the students have money to spend on drugs,” the head said.

He confirmed that the school has dealt with several drug incidents and that in one case, a student dealer was found with over US$800 on him. The head said many students can comfortably afford to spend over US$50 on drugs weekly.

The head said that the school has engaged parents when they discover or suspect drug use. The preferred resolution is suspension and some other punishment as well as advice for rehabilitation.

A different head said most drug distributors discovered in school have been male students. She said it is also common knowledge that a number of female students are into prostitution to get money for drugs and other lifestyle luxuries.

“Peer pressure is there. Even though they come from what you can call rich families, some of the girls have to get extra money to fit in. Some parents monitor allowances or just barely afford the fees and other requirements, so the girls end up having sex with their dads’ friends or other rich older men to make extra cash,” she said.

A teacher at day school said vaping (e-smoking) - whereby battery operated gadgets are used is the most common form. He said the students infuse the gadgets with cannabis or stronger drugs then mask the smell with harmless aromatic options like strawberry flavoured fillers.

A parent who moved his child from a Harare school to an out of town one in 2022 said that he has realised that it rains everywhere.

“I thought that a school that is not in town would be drug-free. So I transferred him to a school that is literally in the bush. But there have been cases there as well,” he said. The man said he now just prays that his 13 year old son will stay clean until he is done with high school and has started checking for signs of possible drug abuse in his two younger children who are still in junior school.

One parent who shared on a WhatAppgroup where the Dominican Convent matter was discussed said that drug abuse among the parents is a contributory factor to the problem.

“But hanzi kune ma parents who are deep into drugs and children are catching on from them then they influence vamwe vana,” she said.

Most of the sources Zim Now spoke to said that parental guidance is crucial in dealing with the problem.

“Some parents just transfer their kids to the next school instead of dealing with the drug abuse,” said one head.

A teacher said if all schools adopt the tough stance taken by Dominican convent, it will help reduce the problem.