Teachers participate in drug abuse workshop

Jacinta Bannis, Director of the National Drug Abuse Prevention Unit

Twenty-five Grade K teachers are currently participating in a drug abuse education workshop in Dominica.

The workshop, which is taking place at the Public Service Training Center, will enable teachers to improve on their teaching of drug education using appropriate materials in the classrooms.

Director of the Drug Abuse Prevention Unit, Jacinta Bannis, says at the end a manual will be produced for use in the classroom for teaching drug education in various subjects such as language arts, music, heath and family life education and science.

“Last year we conducted similar exercise for 70 preschool teachers in two workshops. Children in pre-school Kindergarten generally have limited knowledge about drugs, however there are reasons for teaching drug prevention in these early grades. We believe that early intervention will enable children to identify good and bad drugs and the re-enforcement of classroom lessons and activities will help develop values to increase their refusal skills,” she said.

Early Childhood Education Beverly Leblanc is facilitating the project.

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5 Comments

  1. Natural
    October 20, 2012

    Blessed Morning Island People….

    It makes me so proud when I see my people taking responsibility. I am American born and I am presently a Substance Abuse Counselor in Florida. However, I have been a Grade 6 School Teacher on the Island of Antigua/Barbuda, which turned out to be the best three years of my life, so far. I am still thanking GOD for the experience. I have been in the Human Service field for 15 years, so I was able to bring that experience to the Island. I would now LOVE to bring my experience to the beautiFULL Island of Dominica as an Experienced School Teacher/Substance Abuse Counselor. Do you think the Ministry would hire me?

    Natural, B.S.

  2. midget
    December 10, 2011

    This is on eof the best articles that I have read on DNO. I am Dominican living in the VI. I have been in health care for the past 29 years dealing with so many young people who made the wrong choice in using illegal drugs. When you start at this early age a few might still fall through the cracks but for the most part a very high % of them will avoid the use of drugs, especially smoking POT that so many think is cool.Keep up the good work lady.

  3. December 9, 2011

    It is much easier to straighten up a seedling than a mature oak. Great job guys….I pray that the kids are paying attention and making this a lesson for life.

  4. batu/stepping razor
    December 9, 2011

    Great work. You are hitting the nail right on the head. You recognize that prevention is the key, and you are doing what has to be done in you capacity as NDAPU Director. Again, great work. Dominica needs more like you in the fight against substance abuse.

  5. Rastafari
    December 9, 2011

    Great, we really need early drug education if we are to survive the onslaught of drugs being discarded upon our children. Remember, alcohol and cigarettes kill more people than any other drug and it’s a proven fact. Let the children know about the brain killing effects of smoking marijuana as well. Pharmaceutical drugs are the worse and yet we are afraid to speak up against them because of big $. Crack cocaine is turning our young men and women into very unproductive zombies, meanwhile the people responsible for that stuff coming in turn a blind eye. Drugs in food is one subject that needs attention as well. Somebody is making an immense profit from these drugs and it is not the common person. Teach our children well. Teach them about the dangers of drug use…
    Good luck, Rastafari!

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