Briones: No mandatory drug tests for Grade 4 up

MANILA, Philippines — No mandatory drug testing will be conducted on Grade 4 students and above until a law is passed providing for such, according to Education Secretary Leonor Briones.

“As far as the Department of Education (DepEd) is concerned, the issue is settled. The law is clear, what is allowed is random drug testing for high school and college students,” she told The STAR in a phone interview on Saturday.

“We have to comply with the requirements of the law,” she added, referring to the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.

Briones was reacting to the statement of presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo, who on Thursday expressed support for the conduct of mandatory drug testing for Grade 4 students and above.

He said drug testing is a good idea “because at least parents will know if their children are addicted or being used in the drug industry.”

A survey conducted by Social Weather Stations last September showed 51 percent of Filipinos supporting the mandatory drug testing for students as young as nine years old.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, which proposed the policy, has already dropped the idea following a meeting with DepEd officials.

Aside from the limitations set by the anti-illegal drugs law, Briones also noted administrative challenges in implementing such policy.

If implemented, DepEd earlier said it will cover at least 14 million Grade 4 to Grade 12 students in public schools alone.

The DepEd chief also cited the existing data privacy law and the risks of handling such volume sensitive information.

“We have to be very careful if this is going to be expanded,” she said, referring to the drug testing policy. “We may be condemning kids for life (if the data are compromised).”

Briones said President Duterte has not issued any directive for them to implement the mandatory drug testing for elementary and high school students.

While the President has tasked them to strengthen drug prevention in the curriculum, the secretary said Duterte has not “interfered” with how they implement their programs.

Earlier, DepEd said it has adopted a multi-pronged approach to ensure that illegal drugs do not proliferate in schools and among students. 

A random drug testing is being conducted on high school students to determine the prevalence of the use of illegal drugs.

Drug prevention modules have also been developed to integrate the topic on the basic education curriculum, in addition to other extra-curricular activities that are being implemented to ensure that schools are drug-free.

“The DepEd has been a strong advocate of demand reduction of dangerous substances and educating about the health and social consequences of drug abuse,” Briones said in an earlier directive.

“There are ongoing efforts to align to international standards, such as the universal prevention curriculum for substance use to further strengthen the department’s program in the area of curriculum and instruction,” she added.