Delhi
Sunday times, 20th July 2008
New
Delhi: Good health is the key to good performance —
in classroom and in life. The CBSE is now all set to promote
this belief among students across the country under the
Comprehensive School Health Programme developed in association
with the World Health Organisation. In the latest step towards
implementing this health policy, CBSE has prepared four
health manuals for schools which have various activities
to create health awareness among students from kindergarten
to class XII.
If the schools respond well to CBSE’s initiative,
health will become a co-curricular aspect of education from
this session itself. CBSE has already sent out circulars
to schools informing them about the manuals, which are based
on six themes — knowing your body, food and nutrition,
personal and environmental hygiene, physical fitness, being
responsible and safe, and behaviour and life skills. ‘‘The
manuals are holistic in their approach since they deal with
not only physical health but also mental, social, emotional
and spiritual well being,’’ stated CBSE secretary
Vineet Joshi in a circular to schools last month.
There are separate manuals for students in classes I-V,
VI-VIII and IX-XII. While for younger students, the manual
focuses on making them aware of the importance of health
and nutrition, the activities for adolescents aim at understanding
changes in the body and developing life skills. According
to CBSE, these activities can be conducted under a health
club that can be formed in all schools.
The health programme will not be a part of the syllabus
and so, children will not be evaluated on these activities.
But CBSE has asked schools to regularly monitor the health
of students by maintaining a health card. ‘‘CBSE
wants schools to make a health card for each student so
that changes in their health or behaviour can be recorded
over the years,’’ said Usha Ram, principal,
Laxman Public School. She added it would be better if CBSE
made the health programme, a part of the curriculum for
implementing it in the right earnest. The programme also
recommends making the menu for school canteens more nutritious
and organic. So if the samosas give way to brown bread sandwiches
in the near future, don’t be surprised.
