Educational InstitutionsThe responsibility of the educational systems in a community for the drug education and life skill development of young people cannot be overstated. The immense amount of time that educators have With the youth of a community is significant. While the primary responsibility of teachers is not life skill development. and life management skills, it is difficult, if not impossible, to educate the child who is weak in these areas.
The school system which accepts the responsibility for solving the drug problem without the involvement of the community as a whole is bound for failure. It is the responsibility of the school system to provide a drug-free environment for the students, provide and implement an approved drug education curriculum for students in all grades, provide access to counselors for children facing alcohol or other drug abuse problems and provide some extracurricular alternatives For youths. The school system which absorbs these tasks alone will be hard pressed to do them well when they are added to the general responsibilities of the classroom teacher and school administrator or counselor. In order to expand and enhance the opportunities presented to educational institutions by the required presence of youth, the community as a whole should be involved. Civic, social, business, legal, religious and health leaders can be used to provide role models for the children of the community. Properly trained, these individuals will provide realistic patterns for their lives. (Not using drugs is just as important to be a good homemaker as a hero.) The personal contacts developed within the classroom will also naturally extend into the community in positive, personal relationships. Also, many schools have benefitted from incentives provided by local businesses for youth who participate in special drug-free programming or even drug testing. Civic and social clubs which are informed about special needs in the arena of alcohol and other drug prevention (i.e. Project Graduation) will often provide needed financial assistance. It is just a matter of networking our resources. Schools are often the resource for identification of "high risk" students. Those identified can be assisted through specially designed "big brother or sister" programs in the community. Again, these may be in cooperation with another community system, institution or club. The educational institutions provide the location for contact with our young people and are a main target for alcohol and[ other drug abuse prevention programming. But they should not be asked to carry the total responsibility for solving the problem. |
| Back to main page |
Copyright © 1998/99 - Enough Is Enough