START DRUG EDUCATION SOONER, SAYS NZEI

The primary teachers' union wants drug education taught in New Zealand
primary schools.

The New Zealand Education Institute (NZEI) said primary students needed to
be taught about the dangers of cannabis, tobacco and alcohol before they
attended high school.

"Obviously you don't sit down with new entrants (5-year-olds). We are not
suggesting that," NZEI president Bruce Adin said.

But the issue of drugs could not be ignored by primary schools for six
years then suddenly introduced to students at high school, he said.

Teachers had a responsibility to ensure children were informed about the
dangers of all drugs, Mr Adin said.

Some drug education work is already carried out in primary schools,
particularly through the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (Dare) programme,
but it is not part of the schools' health education programme.

The union wants the topic covered during health education in primary
school, and it said more resources were needed to teach the topic in
primary and intermediate schools.

Huntly Primary School principal Phil Straw said drug education was
"definitely necessary" for primary students.

He had taught at a South Island primary school where 13 students had been
caught with cannabis.

"These children are being exposed to drugs in their homes," he said.

"Children have bought marijuana to school not even aware of what it was. It
had been taken from (cannabis) butts lying around the home."

Huntly Primary School students aged 10 to 13 were taught the Dare programme.

Hamilton West Primary School also used the programme for its Year 7 and
Year 8 students (aged 11 to 13).

Principal Catherine McLeod said drugs were a delicate topic.

"Teachers aren't always the right people when you think that they may not
have any experience in that area."