Health education

The health of young people is everyone’s responsibility. Healthy schools can only be achieved through collaboration and coordination with the whole school community - students, parents, teachers, and community partners.

Why promote health in schools?

1. There is a natural relationship between health and learning. Students learn better because they:

• Get their basic needs met
• Attend school more regularly
• Feel better about themselves
• Get along better with their peers, teachers and guardians
• Have developed the foundation for healthy physical, social and emotional development
• Have learned the importance of making healthy lifestyle choices
• Have developed resiliency needed to face life’s challenges

2. Schools are an important influence in the lives of children. Schools promote and teach the knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours that foster healthy living.

3. Students have the opportunity to learn about long-term health and well-being. Research shows that a comprehensive approach to school health positively influences risk behaviours relating to nutrition, physical activity, smoking, unprotected sexual behaviour, and alcohol and drug use.

4. Helping our children to adopt healthy lifestyles is an investment in the future!