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6
HEALTH EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS
Miss D. S. Elliott, S. R. N., H.V. Cert., Dip. H. E.
Health Education Officer
"The training of children is a profession where we must know hou
to lose time in order to gam it. "
Jean Jaques Rousseau.
Health education sessions given by health education staff,
health visitors and teachers in some secondary and grammar
schools continued during the year in which enormous publicity
was given to "adolescents." Publicity focused on their faults
rather than their virtues worried teachers and the school health
team. The Health Education Section welcomed an increasing demand
for factual information and advice on visual aids which came
from both school and public health staffs. There seemed to be a
growing realisation that somehow more time must be found in
school for sessions on health and human relationships.
Like all experimental social sciences, the field of health
education is constantly developing. The experience of the last
few years enabled those giving the Community Health Courses to
the fourteen year old pupils and lower sixth forms to widen them
and make them more flexible. There was strong feeling, however,
that greater effect and understanding would have been achieved
if a good foundation of human biology and simple applied physiology
had been laid throughout the preceding years, starting in
the junior schools. The subjects fall within the field of the
educationist and help can be given later in the preventive
medicine field by public health staff. A very satisfying piece
of teamwork was carried out among all fourth year boys at
Ashburton School by the Head Master, Science Master and Health
Education Officer linking scientific, moral and community health
subjects.
The Certificate of Secondary Education
There have been one or two tentative requests for suggestions
for including health education in some of the courses for the
new Certificate of Secondary Education. These present a great
challenge. Time and opportunity could be allowed for thorough
and dynamic health education during a general course in sociology.
To do this an even greater understanding of objectives between
education and public health staffs would be necessary and it
might be profitable to spend some time in short multi-disciplinary
meetings or inservice refresher courses to work them out.