HEALTH PROMOTION AND EDUCATION IN SCHOOL
Health promotion has been the focus of health care providers. Health education in schools is one of the methods to create awareness among the community. Health promotion in a school setting involves educating the children about health related matters that reflect on the health in a more holistic way. These activities aim at strengthening its capacity for learning and leading a healthy life.
Health promotion in a school setting could be defined as any activity undertaken to improve and protect the health. Includes activities relating to heathy school school policies, the school physical and social environment and health services.
The concepts of health education and health promotion in relation to schools
Health education in a school is a communication activity and involves learning and teaching pertaining tom knowledge, beliefs, values, skills, and competencies.
1. HEALTHY SCHOOL POLICIES :
These are the practices that promote health and wellbeing. Many policies promote health and well-being e.g. Policies that enable healthy food practices to occur at school.
2. THE SCHOOL’S PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT :
The physical environment refers to the buildings, grounds and surroundings should have provision of natural light and have space for physical activity and facilities for learning and healthy eating.
3. THE SCHOOL’S SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT :
The social environment of the school is a combination of the quality of the relationships among staff and students.
4. INDIVIDUAL HEALTH SKILLS AND ACTION COMPETENCIES :
This refers to both the formal and informal curriculum and associated activities, where students gain related knowledge, understandings, skills to improve the health and well being of themselves.
5. HEALTH SERVICES :
These are the local and regional school based services, Which have a responsibility for child health care and promotion through direct services to students including those with special needs.
IMPORTANCE OF HEALTH EDUCATION :
- Health education helps students to learn skills so that they will use to make healthy choices through out their lifetime.
- Health education is vital for students as it build their knowledge about health. Health education does not only concentrate on being healthy it also focuses on emotional, mental and social health too.
- Educating students on the importance of health builds their motivation.
Health education also teaches about the emotional and mental health of the student. A healthy person is the happiest person in the world.