•  Schools should seek assistance when necessary beyond school admin mechanisms  

The Education Ministry stressed that while schools may seek Police assistance to deal with drug-related incidents in exceptional circumstances, this does not mean that Police officers should routinely enter schools and conduct searches.

Speaking to The Daily Morning, Education Ministry Secretary Nalaka Kaluwewa said that narcotics-related matters were not ordinary disciplinary issues and that the Police had a role to play in certain situations, particularly when schools required assistance that could not be provided through their own administrative mechanisms.

He explained that committees established to address drug-related issues were designed to operate jointly, with the Police becoming involved when their specialised assistance was required. This could include situations involving the identification of suspected narcotics or other matters that schools were not equipped to handle on their own.

However, he stressed that the Ministry was not proposing a system under which Police officers would routinely conduct drug raids at schools.

“What is meant here is not that the Police should go into every school and carry out searches. There are certain special circumstances where Police assistance would be necessary. We expect the Police to act appropriately depending on the circumstances,” Kaluwewa said.

The clarification comes after Inspector General of Police Priyantha Weerasooriya recently called on schools to seek Police assistance when necessary, including the use of officers and sniffer dogs, as part of intensified efforts to detect and prevent drugs from entering schools.

He also urged parents and teachers to pay close attention to changes in children’s behaviour and activities.