Programs – Drug Education

Policy

A sector-wide response to drug-related issues is a key priority for the Victorian Government. Primary prevention is an important focus of this response and school-based drug education is an essential element in prevention.

This section provides policy advice, information about school drug education plans and links to supporting documents for schools when self-evaluating, reviewing and planning a program.

State level policies and programs
School level policies and programs
School drug education plans
Drug education research

State level policies and programs

The Department is continuing its cyclical process of drug education implementation, review and continuous improvement. Schools integrate their drug education review and planning process into the school strategic plan every four years.

School level policies and programs

Drug Education programs in Victoria are provided at primary and secondary school level in all school sectors. Initiatives aim to contribute to the prevention and minimisation of harm associated with drug use by young people. School drug education policy and programs are based on a whole-school approach. This involves strategies to help teachers:

identify student needs
take action to meet these needs within the school program
monitor and review progress.

The Victorian Government Schools Reference Guide provides up-to-date information on the Department’s policy.

See: Victorian Government Schools Reference Guide

The most relevant sections for schools in relation to drug education include:

3.17 Health Education
4.5 Student Health
4.6 Student Care and supervision.

Framework for Student Support Services (PDF - 386Kb) - describes principles, arrangements and resources to assist schools to strengthen student wellbeing and support.

Drugs, Legal Issues and Schools (PDF - 467Kb) - a 15-page guide to schools on drug-related issues. It provides practical advice on how to communicate with parents and the community.

School drug education plans

Victorian Schools are required to develop a drug education plan to ensure that all students have access to drug education curriculum, programs and support and that their school has a policy to respond to drug-related incidents. The plan is reviewed every four years.

In accordance with the Department’s School Accountability and Improvement Framework for Government Schools, schools use the School Compliance Checklist to report that they have an:

effective drug education program that includes policies to respond to drug related incidents and
that they review their drug education plan every four years.

This occurs in consultation with the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria and the Association of Independent Schools of Victoria.

For further information see: Accountability and Improvement - School Review

School teams are supported by Regional Senior Program Officers based in the Department’s regional offices. Regional Senior Program Officers provide support to schools by way of:

information and advice
professional development
current research
resources.

The following documents support the development of drug education plans:

School Drug Education Principles (http://www.dest.gov.au/sectors/school_education) - The Principles for School Drug Education, produced by the Commonwealth Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR), provides a framework of core concepts and values for effective drug education practise in schools. The principles draw on drug prevention research that focuses on effective drug education programs and the critical components for effectiveness.

Evaluation of School Drug Education Program (Word - 35Kb) - a resource document containing a summary set of questions designed to assist schools in the process of evaluating the effectiveness of their drug education program. A more detailed breakdown of this information is available in Evaluation of School Drug Education Program — Unpacked (Word - 101Kb) . This resource is designed to assist schools in the process of evaluating the effectiveness of their drug education program. It is a detailed breakdown of questions formulated to support the evaluation process as outlined in the Evaluation of School Drug Education Program.

School Drug Education Work Plan Record (Word - 70Kb) - supports the development of goals and key improvement strategies outlined in the School Strategic Plan and Annual Implementation Plan.

Examples

Examples of goals and strategies that schools may consider are provided here. Prep-Year 12 and special schools should consider the relevant examples.

See: Primary School Drug Education Work Plan Example (Word - 90Kb) or Secondary Drug Education Work Plan Example (Word - 97Kb)

Three main considerations when planning curriculum for Drug Education in Victoria are:

implementing the Victorian Essential Learning Standards
considering the principles of learning and teaching, and
understanding how to most effectively assess students.

For more information on these issues, see:

Drug education research

Policies and practice in schools are underpinned by current research about what is effective in drug education prevention and health promotion.

For information on drug education research see: Research

Student Learning