Effect of drug abuse on academic performance in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) by secondary school students in selected schools around Kampala Central Division

Abstract

Secondary school education is an important stage in the educational cycle of a child because it is the foundation for further education, training and work. Despite the importance of this level of education, secondary school students' academic performance in STEM in Kampala Central division has generally been low. The unsatisfactory performance could be due to drugs and substance abuse. This study investigated drugs, substance abuse, and their effects on academic performance of girls in secondary schools in Kampala Central division, Uganda. The objectives of the study were to find out how students in schools get access to drugs, to find out why students use drugs and substances in schools and to establish the effect of drug abuse on students’ academic performance in STEM in secondary school students. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design. The accessible population consisted of students from 20 parishes of Kampala Central division. 420 students from schools in the selected 10 parishes of Kampala Central division participated in the study. Most of the respondents were from day schools (56.67%), 20.71% were from boarding schools while 22.62% were from mixed schools (both day and boarding). The study shows that most of the respondents were between 17-18 years of age (39.52%), 24.53% we're in the age bracket of 15-16 years, 23.81% were above 19 years while 12.14% were between 12-13 years. 54.76% of the respondents were not aware about drug and substance abuse in their schools while 45.24% were aware about drug and substance abuse in their schools. More than half of the respondents (76.43%) revealed that they had never abused drugs while 23.57% of the respondents had ever abused drugs.The findings reveal that students abused drugs because of excess pocket money(26.90%), frustration at home due to poor relationship between students and their parents/guardian (32.86%) and because parents also abused drugs (22.86%). Other causes of drug abuse among students were to belong to a particular group (58.11%), to cope up with stress at school (34.40%), to have an experience (40.72%), because majority of the students abused drugs (30.23%) whereas some beloved that drugs enhanced their study abilities (38.11%). Respondents revealed that the common sources of drugs and substance were fellow students (41.43%), community members (22.38%) and other people while attending games competition and other school activities. Other sources identified were family members, school staff, pharmacies and chemists. Tobacco (35%), alcohol (20.95%) and stimulants (16%) were the frequently abused drugs. cannabis, narcotics and inhalants were the other abused drugs by students around schools in Kampala Central division. It was also identified that some of the who abused drugs suffered from health conditions like paranoia, hallucinations, headaches among others which had great effects on students' school attendance, hence academic performance in STEM. 57.62% of the respondents agreed that students who abused drugs suffered often from loss of concentration in class, which affected their participation in learning hence causing poor academic performance in STEM.The study concluded that policies should be developed which bring teachers, students, local communities, parents and businesses groups together in the war against drugs and substance in secondary schools in Kampala Central division. Tightened, mandatory training in drugs and substance for principals and teachers, and drug education in curriculum should be introduced for monitoring and evaluating strategies used to curb drugs and substance abuse.