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28
HEALTH EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS
Miss D. S. Elliott, S. R. N., H.V. Cert., Dip. H. E.
Health Education Officer
In spite of certain difficulties in maintaining existing
interest and projects during a year of great changes, a small
working party from the health and education departments completed
the draft of a book "Suggestions for Health Education in
Croydon Schools". It was an attempt to stress the importance of
regular and systematic health education in schools, to avoid
children being presented with a serie's of isolated fragments of
health information which they cannot relate to each other and
which they cannot therefore fully understand.
As stated in the preface, the contents of the book are
grouped in relation to the mental, physical and social development
of children and attitudes to bear in mind. The book will
have fulfilled its mission if it helps teachers to provide a
wide range of learning experiences, leading to the development
of desirable health habits, attitudes and knowledge and so to
assist children to achieve "health behaviour" as a matter of
personal choice.
A short bibliography has been included at the end of the
book. It is emphasised that school doctors, health visitors and
local education authority inspectors of schools are available to
give current information and help. Further help with information
and advice on teaching aids may be obtained from the health
education section of the health department.
Two meetings were arranged with head teachers, doctors and
health visitors to introduce the book to them. The first dealt
with primary schools and the second which was also supported by
the Chief Education Officer and the Principal School Medical
Officer discussed its application in Secondary Schools. After
discussion the head teachers accepted the thesis in principal.
It will be some time before individual schools will be able to
work out in detail how much can be included in their curricula.
Some difficulty will be experienced due to the small number of
staff with sufficient knowledge in this field, but it is hoped
that the stimulus of the book will help in the general orientation
of attitude towards modern health education.
In-Service Training.
Two study days were held for members of the school health
team on "Child Health and the School". The principal speakers
were Dr. R. de Mowbray, Endocrinologist and Dr. J.K. Lloyd,
Lecturer in Paediatrics and Child Health at the Institute of