SIR: The Government announced recently that they plan to introduce teaching about the dangers of drug abuse into primary schools. Rotary Clubs around Bolton are already giving local schools the opportunity of dealing with this problem in a sensible, sensitive way, through "Life Education" mobile classrooms. In the year ending March 1997 more than 10,000 local children benefited from the visits provided and it is expected that a similar number will have been reached in the past year.

The mobile classrooms are high-tech caravans equipped with audio-visual materials, interactive models (including a talking brain) and 'Harold' the singing giraffe puppet, who is always a big hit with the younger audiences. The unit provides a unique way of teaching children really to value their bodies for up to 30 children and their teacher at any one time and is staffed by an intensively trained professional educator. The programmes are balanced to deal in a sensitive way with different age levels of children (not too much too soon) from a simple presentation on the beauty and wonder of their bodies and its major working parts for the younger pupils through to teaching about the awareness of the pressures that may be exerted, from many different sources, to damage our wonderful inheritance for older children. Effective drug presentation cannot be left until adolescence, since children's knowledge and attitudes are being formed long before then. Life Education is aimed to show children how their bodies function, and how to keep them healthy. Each successive programme for each year group builds up this knowledge.

All the Rotary Clubs in the Bolton area support this important work with their fund-raising and sponsorship raised from local firms. The initial grant received from Bolton Inner City Challenge is now, sadly, coming to an end, but they are confident that the project will continue. Can the Government learn something from Bolton and the other areas where Rotary has led the way?

Parents who wish to know more about the types of lessons and advice offered can get a leaflet about the course by applying to: Life Education Centre, lst Floor, 53-57 Grt. Sutton St, London ECIV ODE.

Rotarian Frank Lord

The Coppice, Bolton

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