Do you know that the National Drug Education Principles have not been reviewed since 2004? 

This is over two decades of change in communities, schools, classrooms and student needs. The New South Wales Ministry of Health and Department of Education have launched a collaborative initiative to ensure Alcohol and Other Drug School Education remains relevant and impactful. Monash University and partners have been commissioned to lead a National Review of the Principles, drawing from International empirical evidence. The goal of this important initiative is to support educators and improve outcomes for students through evidence-informed and future-focused alcohol and drug education practices.

As part of this significant initiative, Monash University has partnered with ACHPER NSW to facilitate a series of three Co-Design Workshops. These sessions are designed to ensure that the voices and real world experiences of diverse PDHPE teachers from across NSW are included in the design of the principles and supporting materials. 

To support this, ACHPER NSW brought together a representative group of 15 PDHPE teachers. These teachers were selected for their unique insights from metropolitan, regional, rural, remote, cultural, and faith-based school communities. This cross-section ensures the review speaks to the realities of teaching in a variety of school contexts.

Throughout the workshops, teachers engaged with feedback from the DOVE student team, who had previously reviewed the National Drug Education Principles from a student perspective. This process gave educators the opportunity to consider both student voice and classroom experience in shaping their feedback. This lead to a more rounded and grounded contribution.

The final workshop is scheduled for the end of May. We are excited to share the outcomes and next steps as the review process progresses.

ACHPER NSW would like to sincerely thank Monash University for their partnership and commitment to ensuring the voices of NSW PDHPE teachers are heard in this important work that was initiated by the NSW Ministry of Health and Department of Education.

A special thank you goes to our dedicated Co-Design Team and their school leaders, whose support has made it possible for them to participate in this initiative. Your contributions are helping shape a stronger, more effective approach to Alcohol and Other Drug education for students across the country.