[Greens-Media] Principals' concerns demand reinstatement of NSW Drug and Alcohol Unit

[John Kaye]

Principals' concerns demand reinstatement of NSW Drug and Alcohol Unit



Media release: 6 March 2014



The Drug and Alcohol unit within the NSW Department of Education, destroyed
by the O'Farrell government as part of their budget-cutting 2012
restructure, should be reinstated to address the growing impacts of
substance abuse on schools, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.



('Teachers deal with students' drug and alcohol abuse, report says' Sydney
Morning Herald, 6 March, p. 12, http://j.mp/MO263h)



Dr Kaye said: "Since June 2012, schools are being left to deal with the
impacts of drug abuse without the support of the experts in the Drug and
Alcohol unit.



"The O'Farrell government abolished a world-leading unit in the name of
'school autonomy'.



"The Australian National Council on Drugs survey of principals puts paid to
Minister Adrian Piccoli's claims that schools could best deal with the
problem on their own.



"Principals are struggling to find the resources and time to address the
growing problem.



"The Minister should immediately reinstate the unit to ensure that public
schools once again have access to programs that respond to the changing
dimensions of binge use of alcohol and drugs.



"The Drug and Alcohol unit was a victim of the O'Farrell government's
obsession with destroying the Department and following the latest
international education reform fad.



"As principals call out for help in dealing with the problem, Minister
Piccoli should ensure that students in NSW public schools have the best
education to create resilience in dealing with substance abuse and its
impact on their learning outcomes," according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.



For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455

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John Kaye
Greens NSW MP
phone: 0407 195 455
web: www.john.nsw.greens.org.au
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