Pres: Schools can be danger zone of drugs, sexual assault

PRESIDENT Paula-Mae Weekes has cautioned that schools can be a danger zone of illegal drugs and other issues.

"We cannot blind ourselves to the fact that some of our very schools can be a danger zone where students are introduced and exposed to many deviant behaviours, sometimes involving illegal drugs, sexual harassment and assault and physical violence."

She was delivering the feature remarks at the inaugural Ready, Set, Grow! Transition Programme hosted by Eye on Dependency a release from the organisation said. The event was held Sunday at Government Campus Auditorium, Port of Spain.

Weekes expressed her desire to "walk the next five years together" with the Form One students gathered for the inaugural event.

"By the end of my term as President in 2023, you would have developed and blossomed into young adults who will carry our nation on your shoulders. I am keeping my eyes on you."

Weekes in the release said, spoke about the pivotal role of parents to guide their children through this transition period, the need to insure against deviance with open communication, to "check your own behaviour" and set the right example, and "putting on her lawyer hat" by suggesting a contract between parent and child regarding social media use which she termed the "bête noire" (the thing one dislikes) of secondary school education.