Drug-free schools to be rewarded: Sutiyoso

JAKARTA (JP): The city administration will reward schools which can eradicate drug use from their environments, Governor Sutiyoso said on Wednesday.

At the same time the administration also planned to punish schools that failed to halt the consumption and distribution of drugs, he said.

The governor however could not provide further details of the scheme because the administration was yet to deliberate the appropriate rewards and penalties.

The reward-and-punishment scheme, to be imposed at all state- run elementary, junior and senior high schools in the city, is designed by the Jakarta administration as a method to free students from addiction to sedatives.

Sutiyoso said he had recently instructed his deputy for social welfare affairs Djaelani and senior officials of the city office of the Ministry of Education and Culture to develop a comprehensive plan of the scheme, with elementary school students as the main target group.

None of them have completed the orders, he added.

"I have also instructed them to intensively control the schools, and soon meet with school principals and teachers to promote the administration's plan."

Several students in the city have reportedly fallen prey to drug traffickers after consuming sedatives, sold or distributed as "candy", or named "smart pills" by the traffickers.

A city official said earlier that pushers had distributed the drugs, which reportedly contained chemical substances from dog medication, to elementary school students.

The number of schools targeted by drug pushers has also shown a significant increase.

A few weeks ago, the administration identified only one state elementary school in Central Jakarta as a site where students used drugs.

Now, another elementary school in East Jakarta and five junior and senior high schools in East, Central and South Jakarta, are on the list.

Some analysts have suggested that political motivation is behind the escalating number of drug cases in the capital.

When asked to respond to the allegation, Sutiyoso refused to comment, saying it was not his brief to comment on any political motive, even though the claims might be true.

"It is not my position to talk about politics. But what is important is that I will fight against drugs whoever is behind it."

Sutiyoso also urged parents to strictly monitor their children's behavior, "It is parents who play a big role in eradicating drugs," he said. (ind)