DepEd develops drug education module

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) is developing a comprehensive education material aimed at strengthening its drug prevention program in public schools.

DepEd Undersecretary Nepomuceno Malaluan last Saturday said the supplemental module, which is currently being crafted, will contain information not tackled in the present content integrated in the curriculum.

“In the regular curriculum, preventive drug education is taught in spiral progression where certain concepts are taught separately,” he said in a press conference last Friday.

“We feel that there is a need to have a single comprehensive education material that is also provided for in the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs law,” he added.

In the current setup also being reviewed, Malaluan said drug prevention education is taught separately across different levels.

He noted that students only learn about the extent of the illegal drug problem in later years as younger ones are taught first with introductory concepts on drug use.

In the new material that they are developing, the DepEd official said all information about illegal drugs will be integrated.

He said they will tap other agencies including the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and Department of Health in the development of the module.

Malaluan said working on the comprehensive material was among the areas of cooperation agreed upon during the meeting between officials of DepEd, DDB, PDEA and the Philippine National Police last week.