DepEd flags PDEA's proposed mandatory drug testing of students

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education has flagged the proposed move by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency to conduct drug testing of all students aged 10 and older.

In a statement, DepEd said that amendments to the Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 are needed for PDEA’s proposal.

PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino on Thursday said they are seeking an issuance of a Dangerous Drugs Board resolution to enforce mandatory drug testing on public and private schools students and personnel.

Aquino said that the proposal was due to the case of a 10-year-old allegedly involved in drugs who was rescued by authorities.

READ: PDEA wants mandatory drug testing in schools

The DepEd also stressed that it already has an active drug testing program for students and school personnel. It added that President Rodrigo Duterte has also given his support to the program when Education Secretary Leonor Briones presented it to him in a Cabinet meeting.

“The program covers all 1,300 officers and personnel at the central office, 3,800 in the regional offices, and 26,000 in schools division offices. It also covers a sample population of all teachers, numbering 10,000, and a sample population of all secondary students, numbering 21,000,” DepEd said in a statement.

The sampling design will yield 95% statistical confidence level of the result, DepEd added.

The program was also done pursuant to the provisions under the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, particularly Section 36(c) for the students and Section 36(d) for the officers and employees in public offices.

Curriculum building

Briones also said that for young Filipinos, Duterte’s directive is “to enhance the curriculum on preventive drug education.”

DepEd said it is focused on inculcating preventive drug education in its curriculum, as integrated into the subjects of health and Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao (EsP).

Briones has already ordered a review of the sufficiency and responsiveness of the current curriculum.

“DepEd has a team validating lesson plans for EsP contextualized for preventive drug education from Kindergarten to Grade 12, for use in homeroom instruction,” the statement further reads.

Briones also said that she would be requesting a meeting with Aquino to share DepEd’s program and to “compare the objectives of the two institutions.”

Cost

DepEd also pointed out that PDEA’s proposed move would require a funding of more than P2-billion.

It noted: “The population of students from Grade 4 (the grade level of 10-year-old students) to Grade 12 total at least 14 million. At P 200 per student for the testing fee alone, the budget will already amount to P 2.8 billion.”

“There are considerable related costs for capacity-building and mobilization for the conduct of the drug testing,” DepEd added.

Section 36(c) of RA 9165 provides that “all drug testing expenses whether in public of private schools under [Authorized Drug Testing section] will be borne by the government.” — Kristine Joy Patag