LOGO OF DMF (Daniel Morcombe Foundation)
BRUCE Morcombe has told school students he wishes he could have told his son to "run" the day he disappeared.
Mr Morcombe and his wife Denise were at Barcaldine State School in central west Queensland on Wednesday, to launch a new child safety curriculum named in their son's honour.
They told students the key to keeping safe lies in three Rs - "recognise, react and report dangerous or suspicious behaviour".
But Mr Morcombe said there was another R he would have liked to have told his son the day he disappeared.
"If I could have got out to Daniel, I would have told him to 'run'," he told students.
"Run to a safe location."
Daniel was 13 when he was allegedly abducted from a Sunshine Coast bus stop and murdered in December 2003.
The Morcombes have since become tireless child safety campaigners.
As they unveiled the curriculum with Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek, the man charged with their son's murder appeared in a Brisbane court.
Brett Peter Cowan, 42, has been in custody since his arrest in August last year, when he was charged with murder, child stealing, deprivation of liberty, indecent treatment of a child and interfering with a corpse.
The first part of his committal hearing was set for November 26, with a further two weeks of evidence to be heard early next year.
The Daniel Morcombe Child Safety Curriculum, launched during Child Protection Week, will be taught to pupils in prep, Year 1 and Year 2, before being rolled out for Years 3 to 6 later this year, and Years 7 to 9 next year.
The program encourages students to be aware of their surroundings, to recognise warning signs, to report suspicious incidents to an adult - and also covers cybersafety tips.
"This program will help teachers deliver valuable learning experiences, so that students can develop the skills needed to better manage their own safety," Mr Langbroek said.
DANIEL AND HIS SIBLINGS, DEAN, AND BRADLEY MORCOMBE
Mr Morcombe said he would investigate ways to spread the program to schools across Australia.
He said he was also interested in establishing a universal hand signal that indicates a person is distressed and needs help.
Daniel's remains were found in bushland on the Sunshine Coast a year ago.
His parents are still waiting to bury their son.
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