Renowned gospel musician and pastor, Charles Charamba, has called on the Government to include the fight against drug and substance abuse in the new curriculum.
Speaking to H-Metro, Charamba stated that learners at the Early Childhood Development (ECD) level should be taught about the dangers of drug and substance abuse. He said:
Just like what happened when HIV and Aids was first discovered in Zimbabwe, it was included in the curriculum and people got to know about it.
I am of the view that children in early classes as ECD have the right to know some of these things like drug and substance abuse.
It’s no longer a secret that this monster is now out of hand and we can only help each other by promoting this awareness from the grassroots.
I also think that rehabilitation alone is not enough to address this issue but we can also teach our people at a young age.
Charamba also implored authorities to raise awareness about other social ills like sexual abuse in early grades. Said the veteran singer:
Besides drug and substance abuse, children in early grades should be taught to be aware of some social ills like sexual abuse.
There is nothing to hide here as we want to save future generations from some of these social issues.
We should not fold our hands but raise awareness about these and other issues in the new curriculum.
We should also preach about these issues at church to ensure that we reach out to many people.
Last year, in October, the Government set up a task force to tackle drug and substance abuse.
Last month, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) released the names of 30 drug barons and suppliers who were convicted by the courts.
More: Pindula News