Worried parents are burning Internet chat lines in Hyderabad as new revelations emerge about the number of drug rings and peddlers who had lured students of some upscale schools.
It began with a forwarded message on Wednesday which began ominously: “According to crime branch police students of the following schools have been lured by the drug mafia (sic)…” The list had 19 school names some of them franchise schools with multiple branches and even the staid Kendriya Vidyalaya which has 18 schools in the city.
“After a few newspapers published names of schools in the city where students were using drugs, my message timeline was flooded with various messages from parents. Only in the afternoon, things calmed down after the school messaged parents about how it is proactive with a Health Safety and Safeguarding Committee,” says P.V. Murthy, whose daughter is studying in 10th class.
Naming and shaming
Parents and schools are divided about the various pulls and pressures about naming and shaming. Should the schools names be revealed? Will the police release the names of the children? Can we really keep children away from cellphones? Were some of the questions in the personal messaging space.
One of the schools went to the extent of messaging parents about a news report quoting Director of Prohibition and Excise stating that the list of school names was fake.
“The list may be factual or not, but it is good the names of the schools have been revealed. It is like shock therapy. Better parents realise the importance of keeping a tab on the cellphone habits of their children and the money they are giving rather coming to grief later,” says a parent whose child is studying in an upscale school in Begumpet.
Advisory goes viral
Even a well meaning advisory by Director of Prohibition and Excise to an international school went viral triggering more debate.
“How can they post news without confirmation. There are thousands of students in those schools who will be seen as ‘Your child is studying in that school’. This is very unfair. The best course would have been to deal with the students and school staff in a confidential manner,” said a parent whose ward is studying in a school in Habsiguda.
The Department of Prohibition and Excise has announced setting up of a toll free tipline to help parents at 1800-425-2523. However, on Friday evening, a call to the number led to an automated voice message about errors and overload.
(Some details of parents and schools have been changed for privacy.)
