As part of improving surveillance against drug abuse, schools across Kozhikode district will soon form exclusive ‘teens clubs’ under school vigilance committees. The formation of the clubs, which is expected to offer more freedom and convenience to students to exchange confidential information with the authorities, will be completed by July 15.
A district-level meeting-cum-workshop organised for members of various school vigilance committees here on Thursday also welcomed the plan of the district administration to declare the premises of educational institutions drug-free by July 15. The vigilance committee conveners will ensure that no shops near educational institutions are dealing with the sale of banned tobacco products and liquor near schools.
The support of various government departments will be ensured for the proper functioning of school vigilance committees and teens clubs. The police and health departments will be monitoring the activities in association with the school managements. Students will be trained in such a way to easily identify behavioural changes of drug addicts and respond quickly to save them from further crisis.
The district administration will conduct the periodic review of the functioning of vigilance committees and teens clubs for follow-up action. Complaints raised by the club or vigilance committee members will be instantly handed over to the police for action. School authorities too have been asked to treat such internal complaints seriously and refer it to the higher authorities for spot action.
As per the discussions held at the district-level meeting of vigilance committee members, the support of the General Education Department’s Samagra Shiksha Kerala programme and the District Institute of Education and training will also be made available for the schools to coordinate the activities. A team of officials comprising assistant collector, assistant commissioner, and Deputy Director of Education will oversee the district-level activities under the initiative.
