Children are the most vulnerable in society yet they continue to be exploited by those who should be protecting them.

The lead story in Wednesday's STAR spoke about the latest hustle involving teachers who hustle students who take forbidden items to schools.

This latest story spoke about the teachers seizing things prohibited at school and then charging students money to give them back the items. The students have been fuelling the scam by agreeing to the teachers' demands.

While students should be made to follow the rules and not take contraband into schools, teachers should not be allowed to exploit this practice. There needs to be some consensus in schools on how the matter will be addressed.

If money is to be collected, then it should go towards the development of the school. Interestingly, the story also said that a teacher revealed they had conducted searches for the contraband at times of the month when they are broke.

This raises the point of standards among teachers. We already know teachers need more pay, but that is no reason to hustle money from vulnerable students.

If the teachers have no money, find other means, but the practice cannot be allowed to continue.

Those who are in charge need to do something before the issue gets out of hand. The students should not be allowed to be exploited anymore. Parents ought to become more involved in their children's lives so that they too can help to rid schools of the practice.