Question

Resources that may be available to help develop school health policies and why are these available?

Answer 1

Ans) School health is a global concept relevant to achieving health and education goals as expressed in the WHO's goal of “Health for All” and UNESCO's “Education for All”. These goals are inseparably linked and they can be achieved together.

- The overall objective of school health promotion is to improve student achievement by increasing healthy life skills through healthy school environment, health services, health education and health behavioural change.

- School health policies can provide highly visible opportunities to demonstrate commitment to equity, non-discrimination, gender issues and human rights and be a positive model for the whole society.
Policies are necessary for and can give a clear structure to a safe, protective and inclusive school environment.

- Policies, when clearly communicated to the school population and the whole society, can give rules on how to behave and what is accepted or not in the school setting.

- Policies that are actively accepted and endorsed by the PTA and the community can be followed more effectively. In cases when policies are not followed there will be a demand for change and stricter monitoring will be possible.
- School health and nutrition policies must be developed and supported by key stakeholders at all levels.

- At the national level, for example, this involves an agreed framework of responsibility, policies and action between the key government ministries (such as Health and Education ministries) and other institutions and organizations with an input and responsibility for school health programming.

- At district and school levels, policies should be clearly understood, implemented and supported by all those responsible for the education, health and well being of the children. Policies should cover a broad spectrum of areas critical for the health and development of school age children.

- Examples given here include policies relating to: early pregnancy and exclusion from school; tobacco and tobacco free schools; sanitation in the school environment; HIV and reproductive health education; sexual harassment and abuse of students; the role that teachers can play in delivering simple health services through schools; and the public-private partnerships for delivery of school food services.

- To be effective, school policies need resources for their implementation. This means that adequate resources must be made available at the national, regional, district and local levels. Such resources include government financing, but may also include contributions from other donors such as NGOs, and ultimately, to ensure long term sustainability of effective implementation of school health and nutrition policies, support from parents and the local community.