The Guardian have a bit of freelance contributors to the school. Two of them are of direct interest to us. First Bobby Cummines, CEO National Association of Free Reformed offenders. Paper says its approach to communicating with students about crime:
“I Ask who wants to be a drug dealer and they say yes. So I link it and say: we’ve got to send a message to these people so that they have to shoot in the foot?
“I It’s tell them people like them, doing small deals, which are used as an example for the larger guys, so it is more likely to be victims of violent crime than the big guy. And if you can’t, the message is sent within the family. They say: if I have a knife, people won’t to me. But I tell them, well, you knife; don’t I know if you’re going to use it, so I had a gun and shoot you.”
Then Darren Gold of the reach of the team leader of Drugline. Darren is a recovering heroin addict says:
“I Go to school and deliver customized training programs suitable for year 5 to year 13, ” says. “We Basic program around a specific age group, so if you see we’re years, 5 or 6, we don’t talk about heroin and crack, but look at the pressure and the transition and how you might feel left out or uncomfortable.
If it’s older age group, we talk more about illegal drugs and side effects. It’s basically giving them all the information they need from someone who was there, and experienced it…
“They Use hear stories. They get to hear any more stories from real life than from books or listening to their teachers belong to what may happen and what may happen. The fact that they receive from us realism.”
There is also a quotation from the PSHE coordinator in the School of Redbridge, who says:
“Darren Really useful because it provides a real life story, ” she says. “I I think that kids really respond to it and is shocked by the stories Darren’s. Children are asked to all. They’re very interesting to hear what impact the drugs that his experience. He often talks about how he threw drugs.”
DfES guidance in schools is quite clear that children “shocking” isn’t to drug education. In addition, reliable enough that he speaks of external actors, in particular, ex-users:
The involvement of former drug education should be considered cautiously by virtue of their status as a former user.
The QCA in their description of what effective drug education looks like don’t mention trying to “shock” pupils either. Instead they suggest that teachers should be looking to ensure the following:
Knowledge
-of long-term physical and psychological effects of drug, alcohol and tobacco use;
- of short-term effects.
Attitudes
-feedback from school surveys on drug norms;
-correction of the perception of universal drug use;
-consideration of media and social influences that lead to use.
Interpersonal skills
- refusal;
-assertiveness;
-communication;
-safety.
Intrapersonal and interpersonal skills
- building self-esteem;
-coping skills;
-stress reduction techniques;
-goal-setting;
-decision-making/problem-solving.
Delivery
-participatory;
-inclusive;
-structured activity to promote peer interaction;
-practice in drug refusal skills;
-role-plays that are pupil generated;
-sufficient practice time;
-peer modelling of appropriate behaviour;
-supportive comments from the group.
Reality bites | eG weekly | EducationGuardian.co.uk
Filed under: drug education