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26
HEALTH EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS
Miss D.S. Elliott, S.R.N., H.V. Cert., D.H.E.
Principal Health Education Officer
Secondary Schools
Health Education in school programmes increases in volume, variety and
flexibility. The Community Health Course, now established in over half the
Secondary and Grammar Schools was revised again bearing in mind trends in
C.S.E. and '0' level courses. With the approval of Croydon School Inspectors
at a meeting in April suggestions for further discussion and integration of the
topics into other subjects in the curriculum were included in the Course.
(See appendix P. 70 ).
In July teachers with whom the Health Department's staff were working
were invited to an informal meeting in the Health Education Section to look
at the new outline of the course, to exchange views and information and make
recommendations for the coming academic year. This was a useful meeting but
they felt that help was still needed from the Health Department's staff and
were anxious for the present arrangements to continue.
Some Illustrations of Variation in the Community Health Course
1. Lanfranc Secondary Girls' School
Fourth year girls (Newsom) completed the Community Health Course in
one term. The excellent partnership between form mistress and health education
officer so stimulated their interest in child growth and development that
the course was extended another term so that the subject could be studied in
depth.
As part of this study, visits were arranged to various organisations with
the generous co-operation of the staff responsible, The girls took an active
part in helping in child health centres, toddlers' clinics and various infant
school classes, including tne units for partially hearing children, where they
helped with extra reading and with the class generally during audiology tests.
Two sessions were also spent in the Health Education Section using equipment
unavailable in schools. At the end of the year the class organised a health
education exhibition as part of the school Open Day for parents during which
the exhibits were explained with great confidence by the girls themselves.
Points of interest from this course were:—
a) During the longer period the pupils had grown and matured and began to
see the relevance to themselves of the content of the course. Their
behaviour and appearance improved.
b) They were helped when teachers and public health staff involved them
and regarded them as useful and necessary in the running of the class or
clinic rather than allowing them to be passive observers.