DepEd eyes drug education in public schools
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education has proposed including drug education as part of the public school curriculum in the Philippines.
This was among the topics discussed during the Cabinet meeting last Wednesday, according to presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo.
"Department Secretary (Leonor) Briones presented the curriculum for the drug education and its efforts on the campaign against illegal drugs," Panelo said in a Malacañang briefing.
The proposal includes the establishment of barkada or peer centers, school-based activities such as poster and slogan making, counselling and drug testing among teachers and high school students.
Last year, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency suggested conducting mandatory drug testing for teachers and students from Grade 4 and up.
This proposal was met with scrutiny as Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Act of 2002 only mandates random drug testing for secondary and tertiary levels.
The PDEA later on dropped its proposal following a meeting with DepEd officials. Briones insisted that elementary students should not be subjected to mandatory drug testing.
The Commission on Higher Education, on the other hand, had directed all higher education institutions to conduct random drug testing on students. Part of the directive was to also implement the testing on all students as part of its admission policies.
The Commission on Human Rights advised CHED to ensure that strict implementation of this policy. — Patricia Lourdes Viray
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