TEACHERS DYING OF STRESS A CONCERN

STUDIES on the impact of drugs and substance abuse on school students
carried out by the National Substance Abuse Advisory Council of the
Education Ministry should be extended to include teachers.

The recommendation by Hassan Khan, the executive director of the Fiji
Council of Social Services (FCOSS), comes in reaction to claims by
the Fijian Teacher's Association (FTA) that its members are dying
from stress.

"It is very stressing to read that our teachers are dying of stress
as claimed by the president of FTA. This is indeed a very serious
assertion and there is an urgent need for a full study on the
issue," Mr Khan said.

He said it needed to be known what role alcohol, tobacco, yaqona, and
marijuana played in creating or increasing stress levels, not only in
teachers but the population.

"I recall that as way back as early 1970s, a major study jointly
done by USP Deptartment of Social Welfare and FCOSS, strongly
recommended the urgent introduction of counsellors in the school
system and an investment in training professional social workers.

"The shelving of such a wise report is costing us dearly
now."

Mr Khan said the unions would be better off putting more funds into
primary health care of their members rather than building rental
apartments which may not be of any use to members who, because of
stress, have moved on to secondary diseases like heart, kidney,
liver, diabetes and mental health problems.

"It is about time we cared more about the health balance and not
bank balances," Mr Khan said.

"Our teachers are the premier social leaders of the community and
they need to be de-stressed.