Session Information
08 SES 10, Health Promoting Schools in Action
Paper Session
Contribution
Schools may play a special role in creating health behaviours. Since schools promote health, they may also influence attitudes and behaviours of students and their parents. For this reason, over the years there have been attempts to introduce health education into the core curriculum in Polish schools (Kemm, 2015, p.96).
A special place where health education can be acquired successfully by students is a health-promoting school. “The three leading organizations, the European Commission (EC), the WHO Regional Office for Europe and the Council of Europe (CE), developed the idea of integrating health promotion into every aspect of the school setting, addressing all the people connected with it: pupils, their teachers, all other school staff, parents and eventually the wider community”( Noble, Toft, 2012, p.142). In the SHE (Schools for Health in Europe) network a ‘health promoting school’ is defined as “a school that implements a structured and systematic plan for the health and well-being of all pupils and of teaching and non-teaching staff. This is characterized as a whole school approach (or ‘whole of school approach’). In the different European countries other terms are used such as ‘healthy schools’, ‘good and healthy schools’, but they all have a similar intention. School health promotion is another term that is used to describe health promoting schools”( Health Promoting Schools, 2015).
Schools being part of SHE (Schools for Health in Europe) network are taking actions based on the concept of positive health and good well-being, at the same time using the provisions of the UN Convention on the Children’s Rights and European Convention on Exercising the Children’s Rights. A superior objective of a health promoting school is a healthy lifestyle of the entire school community, under which acquiring life skills is a priority action. Polish schools more and more frequently apply for joining the SHE networks, increasing their standards and following the health ethics in school. The network comprises over 2,000 Polish schools, of which a certificate of National Network of Health-Promoting Schools in Europe is currently held by 142 schools in Poland.
The main objective of undertaken research was gathering the opinions of schools health promotion coordinators on the implementation of the health education content and their competencies in the field of health education. The survey was conducted to answer the following research questions:
- What health education content is actually implemented in health promoting schools?
- What is the way of health education programme realization in health promoting schools?
- How do schools support health education realization?
- What is the teachers’ opinion on health education?
- How are the teachers prepared to health education implementation?
Method
Expected Outcomes
References
Flaschberger, E. et al. (2013). Learning in networks: individual teacher learning versus organizational learning in a regional health – promoting schools network. Health Education Research, vol.28 (6), pp. 993-1003. Green, J., Tones, K. (2013). Health promotion. Planning and strategies. London: SAGE Publications. Health Promoting Schools. (2015, November 6). Retrieved from http://www.schools-for-health.eu/she-network/health-promoting-schools. Jourdan, D. et al.(2010). Factors influencing the contribution of staff to health education in schools. Health Education Research, vol.25 (4), pp. 519-530. Kemm, J. (2015). Health promotion. Ideology, discipline, and specialism. Oxford: Oxford University Press, p.96. Moynihan S., Jourdan D., Mannix McNamara P. (2016). An examination of Health Promoting Schools in Ireland. Health Education, vol.116, iss 1, pp.16-33. Noble, C., Toft, M. (2012). How effective are schools as a setting for health promotion? W: Scriven, A., Hodgins, M. (eds.), Health Promotion Settings. Principles and practice. Los Angeles-London-New Delhi-Singapore-Washington DC: SAGE, pp.140-152. Szkoły z Krajowym Certyfikatem Szkoła Promująca Zdrowie. (2011, March 15). Retrieved from http://www.ore.edu.pl/programy-i-projekty-19445/szkoa-promujca-zdrowie/krajowy-certyfikat-szpz/szkoy-z-certyfikatem-szpz. Woynarowska-Soldan, M., Skoczek, G. (2014). Health promotion for schools staff as part of whole school approach to health in Poland. W: Buijs G., Dadaczynski K., Schulz A., Vilaca T. (eds.), Equity, education and health: learning from practice. Utrecht: CBO, pp.77-82. Young, I., Williams, T. (1989), The healthy school. Edinburgh: Scottish Health Education Group
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