Health Promoting Schools : SchoolNurse.com

The Health Promoting Schools (HPS) concept, adopted by the World Health Organization (WHO) is taking hold in counties around the world, and may be a new way of "packaging" what has been comprehensive school health in the United States.

Health promoting schools have organized policies and structures designed to protect and promote the health and well-being of students, staff and school community. HPS is greater than health promotion in the school; health promotion provides the context or framework within which school policies and programs are coordinated for maximum value.

By example, the US stresses prevention and mental health in schools through funding priorities, but HPS such as in Australia would address not only mental health curricula but also the school climate affecting mental health. School health in the US is often viewed as peripheral to education's mission and is subject to devaluation. HPS addresses the school's basic philosophy, policies and practices while the community is the greater environment and maintains responsibility for health.

HPS draw together existing school operations: health curriculum and instruction/learning at the classroom level; organization and climate of the school, including policies, social and physical environments; the links with families and communities, including partnerships with health resources.

Strategic planning for HPS in Australia addressed policy and practice issues, school/health linkages, and research needs. Policy issues include the need for awareness of HPS concept at the school level as well as among policymakers in education and health care sectors, and the challenge of multiple philosophies of health promotion held by the many stakeholders. Practice issues include mainstreaming the concept rather than seeing it as another project, teachers' fear of additional burden with an already "crowded" curriculum, and diverse views as to whether or to what extent health promoting activities were part of the school's core business. Language differences between health and education professionals are barriers to linkages. Stressing educational advantages of health promotion ('healthy students learn better') and expanding partnerships to other sectors such as law enforcement and recreation strengthen the foundation and linkages.

Comment: Dr. Nader, a School Health Alert advisor, is on the leading edge of re-shaping the relationships between education and health. -J.O.






			Health Promoting Schools The Health Promoting Schools (HPS) concept, adopted by the World Health Organization (WHO) is taking hold in counties around the world, and may be a new way of "packaging" what has been comprehensive school health in the United States. Health promoting schools have organized policies and structures designed to protect and promote the health and well-being of students, staff and school community. HPS is greater than health promotion in the school; health promotion provides the context or framework within which school policies and programs are coordinated for maximum value. By example, the US stresses prevention and mental health in schools through funding priorities, but HPS such as in Australia would address not only mental health curricula but also the school climate affecting mental health. School health in the US is often viewed as peripheral to education's mission and is subject to devaluation. HPS addresses the school's basic philosophy, policies and practices while the community is the greater environment and maintains responsibility for health. HPS draw together existing school operations: health curriculum and instruction/learning at the classroom level; organization and climate of the school, including policies, social and physical environments; the links with families and communities, including partnerships with health resources. Strategic planning for HPS in Australia addressed policy and practice issues, school/health linkages, and research needs. Policy issues include the need for awareness of HPS concept at the school level as well as among policymakers in education and health care sectors, and the challenge of multiple philosophies of health promotion held by the many stakeholders. Practice issues include mainstreaming the concept rather than seeing it as another project, teachers' fear of additional burden with an already "crowded" curriculum, and diverse views as to whether or to what extent health promoting activities were part of the school's core business. Language differences between health and education professionals are barriers to linkages. Stressing educational advantages of health promotion ('healthy students learn better') and expanding partnerships to other sectors such as law enforcement and recreation strengthen the foundation and linkages. (Nader P. J Sch Health 2000;70(6):247-248; Rissel C and Rowling L. J Sch Health 2000;70(6):248-250) Comment: Dr. Nader, a School Health Alert advisor, is on the leading edge of re-shaping the relationships between education and health. -J.O.



All Rights Reserved ©Copyright 1999, 2000 ®School Health Alert