Drug testing has lasting impact on kids — DepEd chief

MANILA, Philippines — Education Secretary Leonor Briones has warned against the possible lasting impact on children of the proposed mandatory drug testing for students of Grade 4 and above.

Speaking with “The Chiefs” aired on Cignal TV’s One News channel last Monday, Briones described drug testing as “not the most pleasant thing in the world.”

“What is important is the impact on the life of a 10-year-old child,” she said, citing her personal experience when she underwent the mandatory drug testing for employees and officials of the Department of Education (DepEd).

“Somebody has to be watching you. While you are doing it, delivering your sample, there’s somebody outside the door to make sure there is no switching… Try doing it to a child,” she added.

The DepEd earlier expressed reservations over the proposal of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) to conduct mandatory drug testing on school children as young as 10 years old.

In addition to the need to amend the existing law that only allows testing for high school and college students, the agency also noted the huge amount needed to implement such a program.

Briones also raised possible human rights issues that could arise with the PDEA’s proposal.

“The human rights implication is very serious,” she said in another television interview. “The confidentiality implication is very serious if you subject millions of children to this kind of test. We want to protect the identities of the children.”

Briones also stressed that PDEA could not implement the mandatory drug testing if the DepEd does not agree to it.