School health nutrition is a priority in the new Education Strategic Plan 2008-2013 and the education ministry will also ensure that every school has a programme in place for physical education, Minister of Education Shaik Baksh said at a health fair on Thursday.
The fair at the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), Thomas Lands was organized by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Ministry of Health as part of the ongoing activities for Education Month and attracted many students, teachers and parents, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported.
Baksh disclosed that the ministry plans to expand the current Health and Family Life Programme in schools countrywide. He said the ministry is now reviewing the methodology and content of this programme and a consultancy is currently in place to re-examine the content and to determine if the teaching methods being used have been effective. Moreover, the ministry is hoping to make changes where necessary to the Health and Family Life Programme before the end of the year so that it will be more meaningful and it can be taught in schools as part of the time-table, taking into consideration the number of courses.
Meanwhile, underscoring the importance of physical education in schools, Minister Baksh disclosed that there are a number of physical education instructors who have returned from studying in Cuba and the ministry has approached the Chinese Government also to provide support to expand the programme in schools.
He said that the ministry intends to improve sport in schools and this year it will commence with the National School Sports Championship which is held in collaboration with the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU). The ministry, GINA said, is already moving to engage the GTU in discussions to review the way sport is organized in order to make changes and to collaborate with the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Sport.
In the meantime, Minister of Health Dr Leslie Ramsammy noted that the job of a teacher is more than teaching factual things since they are the moulders of societies and he praised the education ministry for declaring schools as smoke-free zones while reminding teachers that they will be setting a poor example if they smoke in the presence of their students.
Ramsammy also noted that the ministries of health and education are working closely and there will be a workshop in October to equip teachers to teach children how to deal with trauma.
And Co-ordinator of the Student Health Nutrition HIV and AIDS Programme Sharlene Johnson noted that the education sector is responsible for the all-round development of the learners and studies have shown that unhealthy children cannot excel academically.
She disclosed that the education ministry with support from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the World Bank and Partnership for the Child Development conducted a situational analysis on school health nutrition and HIV/ AIDS to determine the strengths and weaknesses and to identify areas which require urgent focus. Johnson said that “the Ministry also saw it fit to prepare through consultations with stakeholders a policy document on school health nutrition and HIV/AIDS and has included in its 2008-2013 Strategic Plan a component on school health nutrition and HIV/AIDS.”
