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Drugs Education
littlemissy
Posts: 9,972 Supreme Poster
As some of you may know, I am a teacher. Our Y5/6 topic this term is Drugs Education and I am finding it extremely difficult to teach. It prompted me to think about the drugs education I had in school and all I had (from what I remember!) is 'drugs are bad, don't do them, blah de blah de blah.'
Now, the kids are from a shitty area and a lot of them have experiences of drugs (either parents are users, family friends etc. Some parents are even dealers, so it is quite a touchy subject).
I need to teach the children about choices. About helping make informed choices. I can't (and wouldn't want to, anyway) preach to them like I was 'taught' in school.
I have to admit, I am finding it quite difficult to sit on the fence. The other day, we were discussing cannibas, coffee (caffeine), nicotine, alcohol and heroin. The children's instant response was 'coffee doesn't contain drugs, alcohol and nicotine are ok because they are legal, heroin and cannibas are bad because they are illegal'. But trying to explain that alcohol is more dangerous than cannibas was extremely difficult. You see what I mean?
I suppose this thread is about what your drugs education was like in school and what you would like to see happen with drugs education? Should it be improved? How would you like to see it taught?
Also, can anyone recommend any sites / information booklets etc that I can access to make it easier for children (aged 10/11 - so fairly young) to understand about drugs. A lot of what the school has provided, resource-wise, is fairly bland and uninteresting.
Now, the kids are from a shitty area and a lot of them have experiences of drugs (either parents are users, family friends etc. Some parents are even dealers, so it is quite a touchy subject).
I need to teach the children about choices. About helping make informed choices. I can't (and wouldn't want to, anyway) preach to them like I was 'taught' in school.
I have to admit, I am finding it quite difficult to sit on the fence. The other day, we were discussing cannibas, coffee (caffeine), nicotine, alcohol and heroin. The children's instant response was 'coffee doesn't contain drugs, alcohol and nicotine are ok because they are legal, heroin and cannibas are bad because they are illegal'. But trying to explain that alcohol is more dangerous than cannibas was extremely difficult. You see what I mean?
I suppose this thread is about what your drugs education was like in school and what you would like to see happen with drugs education? Should it be improved? How would you like to see it taught?
Also, can anyone recommend any sites / information booklets etc that I can access to make it easier for children (aged 10/11 - so fairly young) to understand about drugs. A lot of what the school has provided, resource-wise, is fairly bland and uninteresting.
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Comments
I think it is important that you teach the children about the dangers of drugs. I don't think lecturing them about 'saying no' will work. If they haven't already tired drugs then they are likely to try them regardless of what they are told by teachers, parents, singing grange hill stars or the police.
Just teach them the facts, explain what drugs are considered more dangerous than others and mention the effects of using each drug. After all they will make their own decision about what drugs they want to experiment with, I think its your job as a teacher/ parent to make sure the children have access to information and can have their questions answered.
On a personal note, I think as a child I would be more likely to take notice of someone who had 'been there done that'. I'm not suggesting the kids wont listen to you but it might be useful if they could listen to someone who had tried drugs at an early age, perhaps someone they can relate to.
Good luck
:thumb:
Because alcohol is legal it is also widely used, so therefore many more people will be effected by it (drunk drivers, drunken fights, self inflicted injuries while drunk, domestic abuse etc) as opposed to say crack which is a much smaller percentage of the population.
Even though crack may be more personally harmful it effects a smaller percentage of the population so could be said to be less harmful??
My own personal view would be that, the only way to maintain authority on the subject is to stick to evidence and fact based assertions, and avoid statements like 'you only take drugs because something is wrong'. I would wager that they would be far more able to challenge and argue back statements like that, rather than, for example, Serotonin function as affected by Ecstasy use.
You might want to contact Drugscope on their main switchboard number - 020 7940 7500
Good luck, and its great to see teachers taking an active interest in this beyond the usual PSHE stuff.
*edited to remove others personal details from public board*
I think you need to do it unbiasedly, explain why people take them but explain the cons at the same time.
xx
at my school drugs education was non-existant except of course for the dealer who use to hang by the ally way to the school to give you real-life lessons in drugs. i think a lot of people try drugs because of curiosity or just because they get off on doing the 'wrong thing' and its because drugs is still a taboo topic for many people and in schools. drugs education would be beneficial if it was taught from an open honest perspective. not "this is bad for you because its illegal etc."
In the short term certainly, in the long term the evidence isnt solid.
As for education more broadly, you need to stick to facts and dont pre-judge substances because they are legal or otherwise.
However you choose to proceed, just make sure you have the support of your higher ups.
Drugs ... Reducing the risks from Teachers Magazine