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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 2 Hansard (6 March) . . Page.. 693 ..

Eighty-five ACT schools (65 government and 20 non government) have formed School Health Committees to address drug and health related issues in their school communities. These committees include principals, teachers, parents, students and representation from the community and community agencies.

Professional development workshops are designed and conducted for School Health Committees Current up to date drug information and partnership opportunities between schools and community agencies are included in the workshops. A panel of experts from agencies supporting school drug education programs are a key feature of workshops. Examples of workshops include:

Becoming a Health Promoting School

Managing a School Health Committee

School Health Committee two-day training

Developing a School Drug Policy

(6) Expertise from outside schools

Partnerships with outside agencies and schools are formed to ensure the effective delivery of drug education in schools. Collaboration between the education, health, law enforcement and criminal justice sectors is critical to the success of school drug education in the ACT.

Local School-Community Drug Summits bring together school staff, parents, students and community members. The aim of the summits is to strengthen community engagement in addressing drug related student well being. Community agencies assist through the delivery of professional knowledge at the summits. Some of these agencies include:

ACT Community Care Alcohol and Drug Program

Directions ACT

The Salvation Army

Life Education ACT

ACT Cancer Council

Sexual Health and Family Planning ACT

Australian Federal Police

Twenty-two funded local school-community drug summits were held in 2002. Many schools are holding unfunded summits in 2003, demonstrating a degree of sustainability.

(7) Parent involvement

Parents are represented at the territory level on the National School Drug Education Strategy (NSDES) Coordinating Committee. Parents also play an important role on School Health Committees. There has been an increase in parent involvement in school drug education since the commencement of the local school community drug summits program.

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