Madam Speaker, I wish to thank the hon. Member for this question which is of national importance. Let us be clear when we speak of synthetic drugs in our schools, we are not discussing mere statistics. We are discussing of a genuine predatory threat which spares almost no one, be it the children or adults. Based on the records on my Ministry between 2016 and March 2026, we have identified 80 suspected cases across our state and private secondary schools. Each of these cases was immediately handed over to the police authorities for rigorous investigation as per the established protocol guiding heads of schools. Madam Speaker, one single case is an outrage. One single case is a call to arms. My Ministry does not merely remain concerned; we are engaged in an unrelenting offensive to purge this scourge from our school premises and the corridors of learning. Our strategy is built on a three-pronged shield to protect our children – (1) fearless prevention; (2) uncompromising deterrence, and (3) compassionate support. Madam Speaker, regarding prevention, we are sensitising our children through two specific school programmes, namely – • the Get Connected Programme, and • the Rebound Programme. The Get Connected Programme targets our Grade 7 and Grade 8 students. This initiative builds a foundation of emotional regulation and responsible decision-making. We are strengthening the protective factors of our children before they are ever approached by a dealer. The Rebound Programme targets our Grade 10 students. We are deploying an interactive media driven curriculum designed to dismantle the myths of drug culture. It turns peer pressure into peer leadership. Deterrence – the safety of our school does not stop at the perimeter fence. In a high- level collaboration with the Anti-Drug Smuggling Unit and the Crime Prevention Unit, we have intensified patrols and crackdown operations. Psychosocial support – we recognise that substance abuse is often a cry for help through the National Educational Counselling Service. We have shifted from a reactive to a pro-active model. We are identifying at-risk students through early behavioural markers, ensuring that intervention happens in the counsellor’s office, and proper counselling exercise takes place with a view to protecting our children. Madam Speaker, along with the above preventive measures, we are also investing in capacity building. For instance, the school project entitled ‘School Training Capacity Building of Ministry of Education and Human Resources’ is being implemented jointly by the National Agency for Drug Control (NADC) and the Ministry of Education and Human Resource with the objective of strengthening leadership and professional competencies within the school system. The target audience includes Rectors, Deputy Rectors, Educators, Educational Psychologists, Social Workers, Head Masters as well as the PTA members. The implementation period of the project extends from 13 March 2026 to September 2026. Madam Speaker, the expected outcomes are – (1) Improve leadership capacity among school leaders to foster safe, inclusive and supportive learning environment with a focus on student’s well-being and the prevention of risk behaviours; (2) Enhance ability of schools to implement evidence-based prevention strategies, promote a positive school culture and active engaged educators, students and parents in sustained school development efforts. Madam Speaker, a school should be a sanctuary; a place of light for learning and growth. We cannot win this fight alone. This requires a whole of society’s mobilisation. We need parents to be vigilant, communities to be vocal and enforcement to be ruthless and visible. This Government will not flinch. We will not relent, and we will certainly never be complacent. We are reinforcing our sensitisation campaigns, revamping our detection system and expanding our support networks because the protection of our children is a non- negotiable priority. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Yes, Mr Ramkalawon!

Madam Speaker, may I ask the hon. Minister to reactivate the Brigade des Mineurs which had a major role in combating substance abuse in schools?

Ça ne relève pas de lui. Ça relève du ministère des Genres.

Madam Speaker, I wish to inform the hon. Member that we are actually working under the chairmanship of the Attorney General on what we call children in conflict with law. In that committee, we are going to bring those suggestions and see what would be the way forward.

Okay. Yes, Dr. Aumeer!

Thank you, Madam Speaker. May I ask the hon. Minister whether his Ministry has noted if there is any relationship between the consumption of synthetic drugs in those secondary schools and the possession of offensive weapon, as has been depicted recently?

I thank the hon. Member. Definitely, we are going to look into that matter. Perhaps we do not have evidence-based data as at now. Definitely this is going to be an area that we need to ponder on, we need to carry out investigation on that in order to have reliable data, in order to take informed decisions in the future.

Thank you. Hon. Dr. Aumeer, it is your question now. LAW PRACTITIONERS COMPLAINTS COMMISSION – COMPOSITION