The document discusses creating a health and nutrition promoting school. It outlines objectives of school health programs, factors affecting learner health, skills-based health education, and creating a healthy school environment. The document emphasizes that good health and nutrition are essential for learning and schools have a responsibility to ensure a safe, sanitary environment for learners.

1. A HEALTH AND
NUTRITION PROMOTING
SCHOOL
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2. Overview
 Introduction
 Objectives of the School Health Programme in relation to
CFS
 Role of School Health in Education
 Factors affecting Learners’ Health
 School Health Policies
 Skills - based Health Education
 Creating a Health and Nutrition Promoting School.
 Indications that Learners are Healthy
 Recap
 Conclusion
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3. Introduction
Good health and nutrition are indispensable for effective
learning as learners can reap maximum benefits from
the teaching and learning process if they are healthy.
The school health program is an important component of
the total school program and schools have a legal and
moral responsibility to ensure learners have a safe
sanitary and healthy environment.
“ Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social
well-being and not merely the absence of disease.” A
school health program can be viewed as the school
procedures that contribute to the maintenance and
improvement of the health of learners and personnel.
The school health program should be a shared
responsibility involving the school, sponsors, parents and
the community.
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4. Objectives of the Sch- Health
programme in Relation to CFS
The overall objective of the school health program is to
promote, maintain and contribute to the knowledge of
learners and staff about healthy living. Specifically, the
school health program seeks to:
 Impart knowledge, skills, practices and proper attitudes
to learners in relation to health.
 Promote and maintain good health practices among the
learners
 Monitor and appraise the health status of the learners
through health screening and examinations.
 To provide first line emergency services to learners and
teachers injured or taken ill.
 To collaborate with health agencies, parents and
communities on issues relating to learners’ health.
 To counsel and give guidance to learners and parents on
matters relating to health. 4

5. The Role of School Health in
Education
The role of Sch Health in education is justified on the
following grounds:
 Good health facilitates and enhances teaching and
learning.
 Health and nutrition education values eventually
translate to the general populace hence a national health
and nutrition culture.
 Teachers are better placed to impart proper and
accurate knowledge, attitudes and skills to learners on
health matters than their peers or their parents.
 Teachers are educated and adequately skilled to
facilitate simple health interventions such as deworming
and vitamin A supplementation.
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6. Cont…
 Learners tend to have a lot of faith in and hold in high
esteem their teachers and will therefore readily
internalize health education messages from teachers.
 It is easier to sustain in adult life the knowledge, attitudes
and skills learnt earlier in school as compared to
obtaining the same later on from health practitioners.
 Schools provide grounds for more effective large scale
desermination of Health and Nutrition messages as such
messages tend to reach more recipients with minimal
resources.
 Implementing School Health and Nutrition Programmes
strengthens the capacity of the MOE and relevant
stakeholders in providing quality education.
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7. Factors Affecting Learners’
Health
School , home and community based factors have
implications on the health of learners. Such factors
include:
 The state and condition of physical infrastructure such as
classrooms, dormitories, toilets, playgrounds; the care of
floors, walls; the placement of furniture; use of toilets; the
state of the playgrounds, corridors, driveways, and
walkways have implications on the health of learners .
For example, a dusty, unclean floor can result in
respiratory problems for learners.
 Lighting, ventilation and acoustics also affecting learners’
health. Poor lighting can, for example, lead to eye
problems. Poorly ventilated rooms can also lead to the
spread of respiratory diseases and communicable
diseases. Poor acoustics not only lead to learning 7
distractions but also to hearing problems

8. Cont…
 Food safety.
 Food safety refers to access and consumption of
wholesome food that promotes good health and
optimal body functioning. Access and consumption
of safe food by learners is important because safe and
wholesome food promotes health and in turn,
effective learning. Research has shown that learners
who have access to wholesome (safe) food have more
enjoyable and successful learning experiences.
 Learners eat food prepared by the school, brought by
their parents or purchased from food vendors. The
nutritional status, preparation of foodstuffs and the
health of those preparing food have far-reaching
implications on the health of learners.
 The emotional health of the learners is equally affected by
the length of the school day, school rules and
regulations, and ways of handling learner behavior 8
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9. Cont...
 Water supply and disposal.
 In the school, waste materials may be generated from
the kitchen , classrooms, labs, construction sites or
from daily compound cleaning. Each school should
have rules for the management of its waste materials
and should make provision for orderly segregation
and destruction of wastes.
 It is important for learners to have access to clean and
safe drinking water and water for cleanliness as
contaminated water can lead to a number of health
problems, among them, typhoid, cholera and
dysentery. In addition, poor disposal of liquid and
solid waste can also result to health problems.
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10. School Health Policies
 School health policies state what actions we will take to
improve the overall health, hygiene and nutrition of the
learners and especially those with diverse backgrounds
and abilities. Ensuring that all learners are healthy and
are able to learn is an essential part of a child – friendly
school.
 Involving many partners including teachers, learners,
parents, community leaders and social service providers
is the best way to develop school health policies.
 Improving the health and nutrition of learners through
school health and nutrition programmes is not new.
Many schools have such programmes because they
realize that children's ability to attain their full potential
depends on good health and nutrition and a safe
learning environment. Learners are also able to learn to
their fullest when they feel the safest. 10

11. Cont…
 It is therefore important for school administrators and
stakeholders to supplement learners’ meals through
various strategies as most parents hardly provide
adequate and nutritious meals for their children. Such
interventions would be in keeping with the government’s
initiative of promoting Primary Health Care.
 Teachers should be sensitive to the nutritional and
health status of all learners in order to give appropriate
advice to parents and guardians.
 The process of formulating school health policies should
involve the following:
 Assembling a School Health team by creating a
Community Health Advisory Committee.
 Building consensus
 Developing Sch Health Policies and advocacy
messages.
 Communicating this to stakeholders with a view to 11

12. Cont…
 Developing relevant themes and slogans and
operationalizing them such as by having:
• School health day (s)
• A school health club
• Sponsoring a street display in a busy area.
• Using Art classes to encourage learners to come
up with health promotion artwork to decorate the
school or community centers with.
• Promoting the need for Sch Health policies and
programmes through public education techniques
such as flyers, brochures, posters e.t.c
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13. Examples of School Health Policies
Policy Issues Examples of School Policies
Sanitation and •Adequate and Separate latrines for male and
hygiene female teachers as well as boys and girls.
•Clean and safe water for drinking and general use.
•Active commitment from the PTA/SMC/BOG in
maintaining water and sanitation facilities
Delivery of Simple •Training and use of teachers to deliver simple
School Health and health and nutrition interventions in collaboration
Nutrition Packages with relevant stakeholders and with the involvement
of the local community.
•Regulation of food vendors and the quality,
hygiene and standards of the food provided.
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14. Cont…
School Feeding and •Provision of a hot meal to all
meals learners per day with an effort to
ensure that the dietary needs of
learners with special needs are
catered for.
•All food handlers should have
valid medical certificates and/ or
trade licenses.
•Provision of safe preparation and
storage facilities for food.
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15. Skills – Based Health Education
 All learners and particularly those with diverse
backgrounds and abilities, need skills to be able to use
their health knowledge to practice healthy habits and
avoid unhealthy ones. One way to impart these skills is
through Skills – based health education .
 Most schools teach some form of health Education.
However skills – based health education focuses on
changing specific health behaviours in terms of
knowledge, skills and attitudes. These help the child to
choose and practice (not simply learn about) healthy
behaviours.
 Skills – based health education programmes are planned
around learners’ needs and rights and therefore, are
relevant to the daily lives of young people.
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16. Cont…
 Five of the most important attitudes that need to be developed
through skills – based education are:
 Self respect: I want to be clean, smart, fit and healthy
 Self esteem and self confidence: I know I can make a
difference to the health of my family even though I am still
a child.
 Respect for others: I need to listen to others, to respect
them and their customs even when they are different or
when I cannot agree with them.
 Concern for others: I want to do my best to help others
become healthier, particularly those who are
disadvantaged.
 Dealing with peer pressure is also central to effective Sch
based health Education.
When learners adopt such skills they are likely to sustain a
healthy lifestyle during schooling and in their future lives.
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17. Cont…
 Although health issues constitute part of the syllabi of
various subjects the integrated teaching approach
should be used to effectively aid learning about health.
 In teaching health related issues, teachers should use
learner centered methods that allow greater learner
participation such as problem solving, demonstration,
discussions, dramatization, excursions and field trips.
 Health instruction should be enriched through use of up
to date information and materials from relevant
authorities such as MOPHS, NEMA and National Aids
Council.
 All teachers should be trained in first aid skills.
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18. Group Activity
What strategic intervetions are necessary in facilitating the following
components of a Health and Nutrition Promoting School:
a) The School Feeding Programme e.g. strengthen the
promotion of sanitation and hygiene in schools.
b) The Safe Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Programme e.g.
put in place appropriate water treatment methods such as
filtration, boiling and chlorination.
c) The Child Health and Nutrition Programmes e.g. ensuring
that pupils are regularly dewormed.
d) Skills based Health Education e.g. capacity building of
teachers.
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19. Sch Feeding and Meals
 Provide school meals to targeted children from the most
vulnerable, food – insecure regions and pockets of
poverty.
 Mobilize strategic partners for accelerated scale up and
sustainability of School Feeding Programme.
 Strengthen the promotion of Sanitation and Hygiene in
Schools.
 Promote the establishment of school gardens or
livestock rearing, where appropriate, with focus on using
the gardens to teach and demonstrate methods of safe
food production.
 Food preservation and preparation.
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20. Cont…
 Establishment of micro – economic enterprise in schools
to enhance institutional capacity in order to access
nutritionally adequate foods.
 Promote time and energy saving technologies.
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21. Safe Water, Sanitation and
Hygiene
 The school community to ensure that safe water is
available in the school. Possible water sources include
rainwater harvesting, springs, borehole water and
protected shallow wells, piped water schemes, pans and
other sources.
 Appropriate local level methods for water treatment to be
put in place by filtration, boiling and chlorination.
 SMS / BOGs /PTAs to ensure that water is stored safely
to avoid any contamination.
 Appropriate technology use in storage of water including
plastic tanks, cement tanks and ordinary drums / water
containers with all storage facilities being fitted with
drawing taps to avoid contamination. 21

22. Cont…
 Encourage learners to take part in provision and
maintenance of clean safe water.
 Learners / vendors who bring water to school to do so in
clean containers.
 Communities to be involved in and sensitized on the
importance of provision and maintenance of water
sources and facilities for each school.
 In cases where safe water in not available appropriate
water harvesting technologies should be put in place.
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23. Child Health and Nutrition
 Monitoring of the health of learners on a regular basis.
 Checking the immunization status of all learners entering
the school.
 Liaising with the MOPHS and parents to ensure that
learners are immunized against common diseases.
 Ensuring that learners are dewormed regularly.
 Provision of first aid and basics of child health.
 Training of teachers in first aid and basics of child health
 Ensuring that pupils who fall sick in the school are tested
in the nearest health facilities but in consultation with
parents
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24. Creating a Health and Nutrition
Promoting School
To promote good health and hygiene among the learners,
schools should:
 Provide school based education on prevention of
endemic conditions as well as care of the affected and
infected.
 Collect and keep (accurate and up to- date)
comprehensive medical data on every learner in the
school.
 Establish health policies to provide guidelines regarding
what takes place in case of health related incidences.
 Organize for regular medical checkups of learners, for
early detection and management of infectious diseases /
outbreaks in collaboration with health service providers
and local authorities.
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25. Cont…
 Have adequately trained teachers in health education
and ensure working and adequate First Aid kits and
facilities to provide emergency care in schools.
 Promote environmental sanitation and hygiene practices
in schools through regular health practices.
 Promote and encourage the adoption of health
promoting habits such as healthy eating, reduced risk
taking behaviour associated with HIV / STD infections
and avoidance of unplanned pregnancies, drug and
substance abuse, violence and injury.
 Provide adequate and safe water for drinking and use by
learners and staff.
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26. Cont…
 Provide adequate sanitation facilities which are sensitive
to gender and culture.
 Protect children with special needs with regard to their
health and hygiene by working closely with parents.
 Undertake immediate steps to close the school when
there is a threat of an epidemic outbreak.
 Implement measures that protect those not yet infected
from those who already show symptoms of infections of
contagious diseases through isolation, quarantine and
vaccination.
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27. Indications that Learners are
Healthy
There are ways teachers can tell when learners are in
good health by looking out for the following signs.
Whether the learner:
 Is able to carry out routine learning activities in
school, homework and assignments without undue
fatigue or emotional support
 Is able to participate regularly in physical education
and other physical activities in the school curriculum
in addition to demonstrating skills in games and basic
body movements appropriate for their age, sex and
body type.
 Shows progressive gain in weight and height without
unusually wide variations.
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28. Cont…
 Has smooth clear skin, without discoloration,
eruptions, or excessive dryness or oiliness.
 Has good appetite
 Is interested in and enthusiastic about most activities
that are popular with classmates
 Is able to control emotions like other children.
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29. What have we learnt?
 Learners with diverse backgrounds and abilities are
particularly susceptible to poor nutrition, health and
sanitation.
 Schools can effectively deliver some health, nutrition and
sanitation services if they address problems that are
prevalent and recognized as important within the
community and are simple, safe and familiar.
 Effective school nutrition, health and sanitation practices
can be valuable means for teaching learners important
life skills.
 Skills- based health education programmes focus on
changing specific health behaviour that is related to
health needs of both girls and boys (gender sensitive).
Learners actively participate in learning and more
importantly, how to turn their knowledge into immediate
actions.
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30. Cont….
 Through Sch based health education learners develop their
knowledge, attitudes and life skills. They can then make
decisions and take positive actions to promote healthy and
nutrition promoting behaviour and environments.
 Some of the important life skills that learners need include
communication and interpersonal skills, decision making
and critical thinking skills, as well as coping and self
management skills. These life skills help learners to deal
with such issues as the prevention of substance abuse, as
well as to promote healthy nutrition, sanitation hygiene and
mental health. They are particularly valuable in preventing
HIV and AIDS as well as reducing stigmatization for those
who are affected.
 Some of the ways we can integrate a skills – based
education programmes into our teaching is through using
interactive learning approaches.
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31. What can schools do?
 Be action informed and active.
 Establish partnerships.
 Provide leadership
 Introduce open communication.
 Use participatory teaching methods.
 Use innovative teaching sessions.
 Use gender – responsive approaches.
 Deal with culturally sensitive content.
 Emphasize the value of peer based support.
 Actively use skills – based education.
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32. Conclusion
Our schools should be examples for the community and
our learners. We should not only teach good health,
nutrition and hygiene habits; we should also practice
them by being good role models.
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33. THANK YOU
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