Vol. 493 No. 3
457 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the plans, if any, he has to introduce a drugs awareness programme to national and secondary schools; the plans, if any, he has to provide training for teachers on the types of substances and the devastating effects of drugs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16028/98]
Education about drugs has been included in the primary school curriculum as part of health education and will be included within social, personal and health education in the revised curriculum for primary schools. In order to support primary schools and teachers in implementing a developmental programme on drugs, my Department has prepared a detailed package of educational resource materials on substance misuse prevention education which was pilot tested in a small group of primary schools during the school year 1996-97. It has been disseminated during 1997-98 to primary schools in priority areas where there is a known problem of substance misuse and is being revised during this summer in readiness for dissemination to primary schools generally as a support for the introduction of social personal and health education within the revised curriculum.
In-career development courses for primary teachers on the use of the educational resource materials have been developed as part of the overall support programme. These have been provided during the school year just ended. During the general dissemination of the educational resource materials, in support of the introduction of the revised primary school curriculum, incareer development courses for teachers generally will be provided. In post-primary schools, education about drugs has been provided in specific subject areas such as biology, home-economics, physical education and religious education. An increasing number of post-primary schools have begun to provide education about drugs in the context of health education. A package of educational resource materials for post-primary schools on substance misuse prevention education was developed by my Department in conjunction with the Department of Health and Children and the Mater Dei Counselling Centre. These materials have been disseminated to post-primary schools generally over the past three years and this has given an impetus to the introduction of general health education programmes in these schools.
In-career development courses for post-primary teachers on the use of these resource materials have been held each year since 1995 and up to 1,300 teachers have attended to date. It is intended to continue this training next year.
I am awaiting a report from the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment in the near future on the introduction of social, personal and health education to the core curriculum in post-primary schools. This subject will include education on substance misuse prevention. The supporting educational resource materials and the incareer courses for teachers will be revised in the light of the recommendations of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment.
