The Free State Department of Education has emphasised the critical need for parents and the community at large to keep an eye on children’s activities to ensure their safety.

Bloemfontein pupils from the Tjhebelopele Primary School had to receive medical attention after reportedly consuming expired energy drinks obtained from a dumping site on Wednesday (21/2) during school hours.

Provincial Education spokesperson Howard Ndaba said the learners came across energy drink sachets at a dumping site on their way to school. Eighty learners in Grade 6 and 7 classes consumed the energy drink inside the sachets, six learners were very ill.

“One learner was showing signs of illness, he experienced a stomach bug and indicated to the school principal and the teacher there is this item that learners are consuming. There’s one learner who was even trying to sell them to other learners.

“Then the principal instructed the learners to make sure they search the bags of all these learners in two classes and they found a lot of these items,” he said.

Two schools were affected and they suspect more schools could be affected as there are six schools in the area.

’Parents to be vigilant’

“This is a great concern to us as a department that is why we take this opportunity to call on the parents to be vigilant, to call on the community to be vigilant. To also call on these learners to make sure they don’t consume anything they don’t even know,” he urged.

Ndaba revealed they have engaged with the Department of Small Business Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, and Mangaung Metro to investigate where the items came from. He called on owners of spaza shops to ensure they do not sell or dump expired goods in open veld.

OFM News/ Kekeletso Mosebetsi dg