XN000022-1974-11-30 — Page 2

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1974

DRUG ABUSE EDUCATION SEMINAR FOR TEACHERS

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SOME 40 TEACHERS FROM ANGLO-CHINESE SECONDARY SCHOOLS ATTENDED A DRUG ABUSE EDUCATION SEMINAR THIS MORNING AT THE GOVERNMENT TRAINING DIVISION IN LEE GARDENS.

THE SEMINAR WAS ORGANISED JOINTLY BY THE DRUG ABUSE SUB- COMMITTEE OF THE HONG KONG ASSOCIATION OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY AND THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.

IN HIS INTRODUCTORY TALK, THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION (CHIEF INSPECTOR OF SCHOOLS), MR. ARTHUR BROWN, EXPLAINED THAT THE SEMINAR WAS HELD IN ENGLISH TO COMPLEMENT THE SERIES OF SEMINARS BEING HELD IN CHINESE.

HE NOTED THAT THOSE CONCERNED WITH THE ORGANISATION OF THE SEMINARS HAD FELT THAT BILINGUAL SEMINARS SOMETIMES TENDED TO WASTE TIME AND CLOUD THE ISSUES AND SO IN THIS VERY IMPORTANT SUBJECT SEPARATE SEMINARS IN THE TWO LANGUAGES HAD BEEN ARRANGED. HE DID, HOWEVER, EMPHASISE THAT A LOT WAS ALSO LOST WHEN GROUPS PREFERRING DIFFERENT LANGUAGES WERE SEPARATED AND THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN TEACHERS IN THE SCHOOLS CONCERNED SHOULD FOLLOW SEMINARS OF THIS NATURE.

MR. BROWN THEN TOOK THE SAME LINE HE HAD TAKEN AT A PREVIOUS SEMINAR HELD FOR THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING SCHOOLS, NAMELY THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO GET THE DRUG PROBLEM IN SCHOOLS IN PERSPECTIVE, THAT IT MUST BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY BUT THAT EVEN IF A DRUG PROBLEM ACTUALLY EXISTED IN A SCHOOL THERE WAS NO CAUSE FOR PANIC AND IF EFFECTIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN THE PROBLEM NEED NOT GET TOO SERIOUS.

HE THEN OUTLINED THE THREE MAIN PROBLEMS TEACHERS HAD TO FACE: FIRSTLY, DRUG EDUCATION HOW MUCH SHOULD WE TEACH ABOUT DRUGS IN ORDER TO GIVE PROTECTIVE INFORMATION WITHOUT EXCITING TOO MUCH UNHEALTHY INTEREST IN THE SUBJECT WHICH MIGHT LEAD TO EXPERIMENT: SECONDLY, HOW TO RECOGNISE DRUG TAKERS, AND THIRDLY, AND MOST IMPORTANT ONCE YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WHAT TO DO ABOUT CASES OF SUSPECTED DRUG ABUSE, HOW DO YOU RELATE THE RESPECTIVE ROLES OF THE STUDENT CONCERNED, THE SCHOOL, THE PARENTS, THE POLICE AND THE STUDENTS MEDICAL ADVISER.

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MR. BROWN DID NOT ATTEMPT TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS EXCEPT TO POINT OUT THAT HE HIMSELF FELT THAT DRUG EDUCATION MUST BE TACKLED PRACTICALLY AND UNEMOTIONALLY IF ATTEMPTED AND ONLY BY THE RIGHT SORT OF TEACHER. IN DEALING WITH A SUSPECTED DRUG ABUSER HE FELT THAT PARENTS WERE THE KEY TO THE PROBLEM AND THEIR CO-OPERATION WAS ESSENTIAL.

MR. BROWN POINTED OUT THAT THE HEAD OF EACH SCHOOL WAS ON HIS OWN IN THIS MATTER AND HAD TO MAKE UP HIS OWN MIND WHAT TO DO BUT THE ESSENTIAL THING WAS NOT TO WAIT UNTIL A PROBLEM OCCURS BUT TO DECIDE ON A COURSE OF ACTION BEFORE ANYTHING ACTUALLY OCCURRED ON THE BASIS THAT IN THIS WAY THE PROBLEM WAS LEAST LIKELY TO OCCUR AND THAT IF IT DID HE WOULD ALREADY BE PREPARED TO DEAL WITH IT.

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