THE National Assembly yesterday instructed the government to make a follow up on claims that up to half of the pupils at Ukombozi Primary School in Saranga Ward, Ubungo District in the city of Dar es Salaam sleep during classes due to drug use.

Session chairman Deodatus Mwanyika issued these instructions yesterday after Kibamba MP Issa Mtemvu declared that there is a problem with children in his constituency and in the school.

He said the school has 1,400 children where at around 11 am, more than 70 percent of the pupils habitually fall asleep in their classrooms, citing the reason for this situation as repeated use of intoxicating drugs.

This situation is bad for the upbringing of the children and the entire community, the MP stated, noting that it is a good school built at a cost of more than 400m/-.

Wrapping up the morning session, he referred to “a statement made by the Kibamba MP that could cause trouble about the morals of our children.

“We’re told that hundreds of children are drunk at 11 am. I think the government should follow up and bring information to Parliament," he instructed

Jenista Mhagama, the Policy, Coordination and Parliamentary Affairs state minister in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) took up those instructions, saying the matter has shocked the government.

A school with more than 1,000 children has 600 pupils sleeping in classrooms after using drugs, she exclaimed, affirming that the government has worked hard to fight the use of drugs.

Special efforts have been made with regard to children in primary and secondary schools, she said, informing the MPs that in the current education systems if there is a deficiency in failing to identify the issue early, it can only be unfortunate.

"On behalf of the government, I am receiving instructions from the chair and we will follow up to save the children from the said epidemic,” he declared.

The government shall follow up on how the education system works and how it fails to manage this or that educational institution so that the children are redirected towards the right values, she added.