0.6 Health education course, chapter 7 - creating healthy schools

Four recommendations for healthy schools

Policies, Provisions, Skill-Based Health Education, Nutrition

Health-related school policies

Health policies in schools, including skills-based health education and the provision of some health services, can helppromote the overall health, hygiene and nutrition of children. But good health policies should go beyond this to ensure a safe and secure physicalenvironment and a positive psycho-social environment, and should address issues such as abuse of students, sexual harassment, school violence, andbullying. By guaranteeing the further education of pregnant school girls and young mothers, school health policies will help promote inclusion andequity in the school environment. Policies that help to prevent and reduce harassment by other students and even by teachers, also help to fightagainst reasons that girls withdraw or are withdrawn from schools. Policies regarding the health-related practices of teachers and studentscan reinforce health education: teachers can act as positive role models for their students, for example, by not smoking in school. The process ofdeveloping and agreeing upon policies draws attention to these issues. The policies are best developed by involving many levels, including thenational level, and teachers, children, and parents at the school level.

Provision of safe water and sanitation - the essential first steps towards a healthy physical, learning environment

The school environment may damage the health and nutritional status of school children, particularly if it increases theirexposure to hazards such as infectious disease carried by the water supply. Hygiene education is meaningless without clean water and adequatesanitation facilities. A realistic goal in most countries is to ensure that all schools have access to clean water and sanitation. By providing thesefacilities, schools can reinforce the health and hygiene messages, and act as an example to both students and the wider community. This in turn can leadto a demand for similar facilities from the community. Sound construction policies will help ensure that facilities address issues such as genderaccess and privacy. Separate facilities for girls, particularly adolescent girls, are an important contributing factor to reducingdropout at menses and even before. Sound maintenance policies will help ensure the continuing safe use of these facilities.

Skills-based health education

This approach to health, hygiene and nutrition education focuses upon the development of knowledge, attitudes, values,and life skills needed to make and act on the most appropriate and positive health-related decisions. Health in this context extends beyond physicalhealth to include psycho-social and environmental health issues. Changes in social and behavioural factors have given greater prominence to suchhealth-related issues as HIV/AIDS, early pregnancy, injuries, violence and tobacco and substance use. Unhealthy social and behavioural factorsnot only influence lifestyles, health and nutrition, but also hinder education opportunities for a growing number of school-aged children andadolescents. The development of attitudes related to gender equity and respect between girls and boys, and the development of specific skills,such as dealing with peer pressure, are central to effective skills-based health education and positive psycho-social environments. Whenindividuals have such skills, they are more likely to adopt and sustain a healthy lifestyle during schooling and for the rest of their lives.