By Roy Hezron
The implementation of a new directive released by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior And Coordination Of National Security will see the closure of kiosks near schools.
The guidelines titled National Guidelines for Alcohol and Substance use Prevention and management in Basic Education Institutions, 2021 will also lead to monitoring of school canteens. The new move by the government is meant to prevent the use of alcohol and substance abuse among leaners in basic leaning institutions.
The guidelines, which are developed by National Authority for the Campaign against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) and jointly signed by Education Cabinet Secretary Prof. George Magoha and Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang’i have tasked school administrations to report any alcohol advertisements or billboards next to schools, to the Sub-County Education office.
The guidelines were launched at Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) on July 9, 2021.
Schools were tasked with the responsibilities of maintaining vigilance and ensuring that no alcohol or substance is used within the school premises, developing guidelines for incident management for Board of Management (BOM) teaching and non-teaching staff, parents and visitors to the school ,collaborating with law enforcers and immediate community to deal with peddlers within the community as well as ensuring that teachers and other relevant staff are equipped with knowledge and skills to conduct effective inspection.
The Ministry of Interior in collaboration with the county governments have been tasked to implement the responsibility and also carry out monitoring and evaluation of the same.
County governments will also institute and strengthen policy and legal frameworks to deter establishment of structures manufacturing, storing or selling alcohol, tobacco and other drugs in and around basic education institutions.
“My Ministry is regularly conducting compliance checks to ensure that there are no alcohol selling premises near institutions of learning for persons below the age of eighteen. In addition, Law Enforcement Officers are well briefed on stamping out under-age drinking as stipulated in the Alcoholic Drinks Control Act of 2010,” noted Dr. Matiang’i.
The Ministry of Interior shall support schools in handling incidents that relate to illegal drug possession through national government officers and local security agencies. It will also promote public awareness within the community on harms caused by alcohol and drugs and encourage child protection through barazas .
A National Survey of the general populace conducted in 2017 by NACADA showed that alcohol is the most abused substance with 12.2 per cent of persons aged 15 – 65 years being active users. Tobacco closely followed with a prevalence rate of 8.3 per cent, Miraa at 4.1 per cent and Cannabis at 1.0 per cent.
Findings by NACADA in 2019 revealed that 20 percent of pupils had used at least one drug in their lifetime and that adults played a role in initiating children to drug use.
The other key players in the prevention and management of alcohol and substance use in schools include Teachers Service Commission (TSC), Ministry of Health, Department of Children’s Services, County Education Boards, School BOM, teaching and non-teaching staff, parents and guardians as well as the community. Others are Faith Based Organizations (FBOs), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Community Based Organizations (CBOs) and development partners.
