Teachers' inclusion in drug test sought

Cebu - Department of Education in Central Visayas director Recaredo Borgonia said that he would want teachers included in the random drug test, aside from students.

“We would want the tests for both teachers and students administered simultaneously,” Borgonia said.

The outcome of the drug test would allow the DepEd-7 to weigh the seriousness of the case.

“Then we would be able to decide on what to do with the teacher proven to be positive of drug use,” Borgonia said.

He admitted having received a number of reports on teachers engaged in the use of illegal drugs, but that no records could support such.

In relation to this, he is considering the challenge posed by Dangerous Drugs Board Undersecretary Clarence Paul Oaminal to have the random drug test included in school handbooks to prevent resistance.

Borgonia said he would issue a memorandum to school superintendents about this.

As for the integration of Spanish in the secondary education curriculum, Borgonia made it clear that this will only happen in schools with students who are capable of learning another foreign language, aside from English.

“For a start, there will only be one school per region or that the program will be carried out on a pilot basis,” he added.

“We cannot make it a requirement for all students to learn Spanish. If they have difficulty mastering the Filipino or the English language, then the more they will find it difficult to be proficient in Spanish,” he explained. — AJ de la Torre/MEEV (THE FREEMAN)