DRUGS IN SCHOOLS: SAD BUT TRUE

I write in reference to a letter by Gene Netto (Drugs in schools, The
Jakarta Post, April 16). Netto, please, wake up! Your naivete and
ignorance of our children and schools is pitiful.

Sadly, there are drug sellers that prey on our children.

Many schoolchildren know where to find them and they know where to
find our schoolchildren. Equally ignorantly, Netto states, "How about
random urine testing in schools where there is a suspicion of drug
use?", as if that is going to solve the problem!

This is already happening. But does it have the desired effect? What
we need is education to guide schoolchildren away from dangerous
drugs, not just knee-jerk reactions like "appropriate sanctions for
those caught using drugs and more severe sanctions for those caught
dealing drugs", as Netto feebly suggests.

Drugs in our schools is a serious issue and it is a terrible reality
but we need informed and careful planning to deal with it, not
naivete, uninformed and random, knee-jerk "solutions". Understand the
problem and then seek a real solution -- that is a real goal for
education and a realistic approach to drugs in our schools.

HARI SETIAWAN

Surabaya