Vol. 432 No. 1
12 Mr. Lowry asked the Minister for Education if, in the light of ongoing reports that schoolchildren's performances in the classroom are being affected by the drinking of alcohol, any survey has been carried out by her Department as to the extent of the problem; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
15 Mr. McCormack asked the Minister for Education if, in the light of ongoing reports that schoolchildren's performances in the classroom are being affected by the drinking of alcohol, any survey has been carried out by her Department as to the extent of the problem; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
100 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Education if she will introduce a comprehensive programme in both primary and second level schools aimed at alerting pupils to the dangers of solvent abuse; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
101 Mr. Finucane asked the Minister for Education if, in the light of ongoing reports that schoolchildren's performances in the classroom are being affected by the drinking of alcohol, any survey has been carried out by her Department as to the extent of the problem; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
112 Mr. Nealon asked the Minister for Education if, in the light of ongoing reports that school children's performances in the classroom are being affected by the drinking of alcohol, any survey has been carried out by her Department as to the extent of the problem; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 12, 15, 100, 101 and 112 together.
The issue of promoting the health and well-being of young people has received significant attention in the Green Paper on Education and the implementation of these proposals will be dealt with in the White Paper on Education. In the meantime, I propose to continue to support and develop action in this area of education and to provide the resources required by such development. For example, the Department issues literature every year about the national alcohol awareness week which is organised by the National Parents Council. My Department cooperates with the Department of Health and its agencies and with voluntary groups in a range of initiatives which seek to support schools in developing education programmes on substance abuse, including alcohol abuse. My Department has not carried out a survey as to the extent of this problem, although I am aware of surveys that have been carried out by other groups.
A close lisison has been established with the Department of Health in developing health education in schools. This has led to particular initiatives at national level as well as to the encouragement of a wide range of cooperative projects at local level between health boards and schools, and between voluntary groups such as the Irish Cancer Society and schools. Involving parents of pupils has been an increasingly important feature of such co-operation. In addition, various projects have been linked to others in European countries leading to cross-communcation and funding from the EC for projects.
At primary level, the Primary Curriculum Review Body recommended that health education be included in the curriculum. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment has been asked to advise on the curriculum for primary schools arising from this recommendation. As discussed in the Green Paper, the whole area of health education has been broadened and includes the following areas: a positive school climate which supports the well-being of staff and pupils; a school curriculum which includes health education programmes with supporting resources and in-service and an opening up of the school to the involvement of parents and co-operation with agencies in the community. This is in line with thinking throughout Europe, and Ireland has been one of the pacemaking countries in this regard.
The Minister's reply is futuristic in nature. Will the Minister consider setting up specific courses in schools to educate children about the dangers posed by the abuse of alcohol and other dangerous substances? Is she aware that a recent survey carried out by my colleague, Deputy Higgins, showed that children are starting to drink, smoke cigarettes, sniff glue and use other substances as early as ten and 12 years of age? If the present trend continues these children will be confirmed alcoholics by the time they reach their mid-teens. Will the Minister agree that such activities are detrimental to these children's schooling and that this problem could be dealt with both successfully and promptly in a structured fashion with a properly monitored programme in primary schools? In view of the fact that it is only a minority of children who behave in an unruly and unacceptable fashion, will the Minister agree that immediate positive action could safeguard the reputation of the vast majority of young people who behave in a responsible and dignified fashion both at school, festivals, sporting occasions and many public occasions?
The Primary Curriculum Review Body recommended that health education should be included in the curriculum. That recommendation has been passed to the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, which will put forward its recommendations on how health education could be included in the curriculum. Close liaison has been established with the Department of Health in the development of specific health education programmes in schools. Courses have been developed by the North-Western Health Board, the Western Health Board, the Mid-Western Health Board and the South-Eastern Health Board. Other health boards have begun to organise seminars to help develop their ideas. All these initiatives are very important and the more locally based they are the more effective they will be. Specific programmes are operated under the disadvantage youths progrmmes. People at local level can avail of information and resources and follow courses under these programmes.
I would not for a minute suggest that enough can be done in this regard. The recommendations which have been made are being worked on. Ireland is highly regarded in Europe for the courses and projects we have put in place. Eight pilot projects at post-primary level will commence in 1993-94. We are aiming in these projects to ensure that there are adequate support mechanisms within schools to enable parents, teachers and pupils to deal with such problems and provide the means through which these concerns can be communicated. We are responding as positively as possible — all possible recommendations are being put in place. While waiting for the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment to put forward its recommendations on the curriculum content, we should not underestimate the great partnership which exists between sections of the local community, particularly between those involved in education and the local health authorities. I have accepted all the invitations I have received to launch specific projects in order to indicate my support for what I regard as very successful local projects.
To what extent does the Minister think the advertising of alcohol in a glamorous way has led to an increase in the number of children using alcohol? People are warned that cigarettes can damage their health and similar warning should be issued in regard to alcohol. With regard to co-operation between the Department of Education and the Department of Health, does the Minister think that the Department of Education can make a contribution in the development of initiatives which are proposed at local level?
The purpose of the programmes in place is to teach young people how to say "no" to alcohol, cigarettes and so on. These programmes are being developed and monitored. I am very open to any changes recommended by the experts in this area. On the question of co-operation between the Departments of Health and Education, information and courses are available at local level. My Department has responded positively to any requests from health boards to participate in specific health programmes — I referred to the health boards which have set up programmes. The Department is doing a good job in this respect from the point of view of the schools. I wish to emphasise the need to involve parents in such projects. If the parents work together with their children and the health agencies we can feel confident that the children are being minded throughout the day. The Deputy is aware that there is a limit to the length of time young people spend in the school system and it is important therefore that parents and the wider community are involved in any initiative. As I see it, the community would respond to initiatives so that the direction is not coming from the top down — as health education in my time came from the top down — but from the bottom up, and involving the students the teachers, the health agencies and the parents, who I think would get the main instigators of the initiatives.
I was disappointed with the Minister's initial response to my question which acknowledged in one line of a very lengthy reply that her Department has not conducted a survey of this problem. This comes on a day when hundreds of thousands of pupils are sitting the first day of their leaving certificate and junior certificate examinations. This is a widespread problem and it is causing great concern in schools.
The Minister should conduct a survey on the effects of alcohol consumption on school children. It was welcome that she indicated, in response to supplementary questions, that parents have a role in this area because they have a responsibility to know where their children are and what they are doing at any time. Will the Minister state when a survey on the abuse of alcohol by school children will be conducted?
The findings of two well considered surveys are available to the Department and if we were to stop to carry out another survey it would appear to be a delaying tactic. I prefer to advance on the initiatives already in place. For the information of Deputies, an ESRI survey in this respect was carried out in 1986 in the Dublin post-primary schools. Another survey by a Galway based voluntary group suggested that pupils attending school had used alcohol and some had used it in what could be described as a heavy manner. As a result of that information, the Department has responded in a positive way by working with the Department of Health to develop resources for the schools, including a programme on the abuse of alcohol.
I suggest that to stop at this stage and set up a survey might question the validity of previous surveys and I do not think we should do that. We need to continue to respond to the problem in a very positive way and to work in conjunction with the Department of Health so that the abuse of substances, including alcohol, is part of a health education programme.
Is the Minister aware that despite all her assurances this is not happening? Recently I carried out a random survey of nine schools in Dublin in which there was substantial evidence of substance abuse — including alcohol, Tippex, polish, glue, butane gas and petrol — and in five of the schools there was absolutely no substance abuse programme whatsoever; of the remaining four, there was a substance abuse programme in only one, in which the health board is only marginally involved. The initiative is not working on the ground.
I am interested in Deputy Higgin's findings. In the schools I have come across — but perhaps people are inclined to tell the Minister the good news rather than the bad news — the programmes are in place. Such programmes should be available not only in schools but at local level.
The Stay Safe programme which was put together by the Eastern Health Board on a pilot basis is now widely accepted and welcomed in primary schools. We have now asked them to up-date that programme with particular reference to young people in second level schools. That work is ongoing this year because it is not simply a question of making minor changes to a programme that was aimed at the five to 12 age group; indeed, it is quite challenging to put together a programme and text for this age group. The Eastern Health Board has accepted the Department's invitation to build on the Stay Safe Programme, which was part of a programme for healthy living for young children, and provide a package for the post-primary level. I am sure that when it becomes available it will be widely welcomed.
On the basis of the information Deputy Higgins has supplied, I ask the parents with children at second level schools to inquire whether programmes are in place in their schools. If parents indicate to school management that such programmes would be welcome, I am sure the schools would respond positively. Perhaps the Deputy will join with me in extending that invitation to parents. I welcome any additional information that the Deputy has in this regard.
There seems to be an assumption in the Minister's reply that drinking is confined to school pupils but what about the teacher — albeit they are limited in number — who may have a problem with drink? When is it intended to introduce the welfare service for teachers, which was promised by her predecessor, which will address this and other problems in the teaching profession?
In responding to questions, I am answering them in the context of the text of the questions tabled. In the body of my reply I referred to a healthy environment for the well-being of pupils and teachers and under that heading it would be possible to concern ourselves with adults in the school who may have that problem. At present there are leave provisions and counselling services in place and it is a matter for individual schools whether there is somebody with responsibility in this area for those seeking help. I would not like to develop my response further. If the Deputy were to table a more specific question it would be possible for me to talk to the teachers' representatives, who are always willing to talk to a Minister, and to ask them to highlight this area. Perhaps the Deputy might ask them also to highlight this matter. If the Deputy were to table a specific question it would give me time to elicit the information he requires.
Does the Minister agree that all the surveys and solvent abuse programmes will come to naught unless action is taken against the godfathers and godmothers of drink pedalling. Is there a liaison between the Minister for Education and the Minister for Justice in regard to the lack of enforcement and paucity of convictions for the supply of drink to under-aged persons?
It is not a matter as to how close the links are between the Minister for Justice and the Minister for Education——
It is part of it.
It would be fair to say that there would be support for all measures that the Minister for Justice would put in place to ensure that the laws relating to the sale of alcohol to minors would be upheld. If the Minister for Justice felt she needed co-operation from the Minister for Education she could have it without asking. I take the point that the programmes put in place will not resolve all the problems but if we tackle them on a multi-base we will be more successful than in the past.
There is a role for parents. Where they fail in their duties as parents we have an obligation to ensure that courses are provided in parenting skills to alert them to their responsibilities. I am not suggesting we can cover all eventualities but I hope that, as more information is made available and as more innovative programmes are put in place, the Department will play a very positive role. Formerly, this role was left solely to the Department of Health. There has been great co-operation between the Departments of Health and Education. If the Department of Justice want my blessing for their proposals in regard to the drink licensing laws they can have it. At local level in the health services this is being most successful.
