MY SCHOOL by Dr .Nilesh Gopal das Joshi (beginner reading books for adults .txt) 📕

the importance of health education in schools. Thus, the teachers who are ignorant of the basic rules of health and the role of health in education, may become indifferent to the health of pupils and the role of health in education. The balanced development of pupils is not possible in the hands of such teachers. Such teachers may not be able to maintain even their own health. Thus, health education must form an integral part of teacher education programme.

Implementation of health education programmes depends upon the teacher. A teacher who possesses good health and is conscious of its role in education, will pursue health education programmesin the school with zeal and enthusiasm. The purposes of health education in teacher education programme may be:

Health Observation:

The teacher has constant contact with pupils in the classroom, in the play field, in the library, laboratory etc. They can easily detect defective health habits and postures of students. They can identify cases of defective health and suggest some remedial measures.

Providing healthy school environment:

The teacher can provide suitable environment in the school conducive to good health. They can pay special attention to personal hygiene, cleanliness, ventilation, physical exercise, inculcation of good health habits.

Prevention of communicable diseases:

The children come from various localities. They may contract some communicable disease and carry it to school. A teacher who knows about the prevention of such disease will adopt suitable preventive measures not only in the school but in the surrounding areas.

Food and nutrition:

Good health is not possible without suitable food and nutrition. A teacher can instruct children about the type of food they should take.

Health services:

A teacher can organise health service for minor ailments. They can arrange regular medical examination of children by competent doctors. Also, a teacher is expected to know the type of health services available.

Thus, health education in teacher education programme is of importance for the reasons like: To,

Acquire knowledge about physical and health education. Develop awareness about health and fitness. Develop the physical fitness and wellness. To understand the prevention of life style diseases. Understand the rules and regulations of sports and games. Develop the skills in organizing the physical education programmes in schools. Develop the activities required for organizing physical education meets and events. Acquire knowledge about recreation, health and safety education. Acquire knowledge about common communicable diseases. Understand the nature of injuries and to provide first aid. Understand the diet modification in the treatment of underweight and obesity.

Components of a Healthful Environment

A healthful school environment encompasses such factors as adequate space, proper lighting, heating and ventilation, good sanitation, correct seating, regular maintenance, safety counselling facilities, health services, recreational areas, eating places, rest rooms and living quarters. A healthful environment, however provides more than those physical characteristics. The”emotional climate” is also important if the student is to receive optimum benefits from attendance at school.

There are certain factors which influence the emotional climate of the school. They are:

The educational qualifications, personality characteristics and workload of faculty members; The opportunities provided for student faculty conferences; Teaching methods and classroom procedures employed by faculty members; The number and demands of students and the ability of the teacher to carry this workload; The attractiveness of the facilities; The adequacy of recreational facilities; The scheduling of time for recreational activities; The nature and extent of school traditions.

STRATEGIES FOR IMPARTING HEALTH EDUCATION

There are some aspects of environment which make a significant contribution to healthful living in the school. They can be discussed under:

Environmental Sanitation

Environmental sanitation on the campus involves control of the drinking water and milk supply, the food in eating halls; restaurants; garbage disposal; water in the swimming pools; health protection of food handlers; housing; building maintenance and insect and rodent control.

Classroom, Library and Laboratory

A school student spends many hours in the classroom, library and laboratory. An ideal physical environment for learning is provided by a classroom or laboratory which is properly lighted to assure a minimum of eye fatigue, adequately heated and ventilated to promote physical and mental efficiency, correctly equipped with chairs and tables which fit the individual student and decorated with colours pleasing and soothing to the eye. The same characteristics are needed in the study rooms in the library, since it is imperative that this facility be conducive to good study habits.

Guidance and Counselling Services

A student may find it difficult to determine his/her vocational goal because he/she may not comprehend clearly the personal traits which are required to succeed in a specific vocation. The guidance and counselling services of a school should be established to help students in their future adjustment.

Hostel Facilities

Hostel is considered as the living quarters for the students. Such living quarters affect the health and efficiency of the students. For example, good lighting can decrease eye fatigue headaches, nervousness and irritability; bright, cheery surroundings have a definite psychological uplifting effect; proper heating and ventilation reduce the likelihood of contracting respiratory diseases such as colds, sinusitis and pneumonia; adequate space in living quarters prevents the spread of a number of communicable diseases; properly equipped and arranged quarters with intelligent use of appliances, prevent many home accidents.

The school authorities who are concerned with providing hostel facilities should give attention to the requirements of good housing in a hostel.

Providing Health Guidance Opportunities

To provide an environment for healthful living there must be provision for health guidance programme in schools. It is through the personal social relationships with students that the health education teacher will be able to co-operate with the student health service in observing, screening, referring and following up the student with a health problem. The adaptive or corrective programme, supervised by health service and physical education personnel on an individual need basis, serves as an important means of correcting remedial defects.

Health Services

In each school there must be provision for health services, because a school health service may function as a medical office, a student hospital or a student health service. Thus, the health needs of students can be fulfilled. To these health services organizations students will come with personal problems such as chronic fatigue and some such health problems. Thus, health services can provide opportunities for a healthful living.

Use of Teaching methods and Aids

Pupils will learn and understand more easily and effectively if the teaching is made interesting and enjoyable. The greater the variety of teaching methods and aids you can employ, the easier it will be to capture and hold the pupil’s attention. Concentrate on finding the best methods of presenting new knowledge and on involving pupils more actively in the learning process. Certain approaches have been found to be highly successful:

For communicating new ideas

Flannelgraphs Models and demonstrations Colour slides/filmstrips Story-telling Puppet plays Play-acting Posters and booklets Songs and dances Help from outside workers

For developing Understanding

Group discussion-presentation of conclusion to others Making up stories, or inventing the end to a prepared but unfinished story Making up plans to act with others Inventing songs or dances to express ideas Role-playing- taking on the roles of others in the community Designing posters to express ideas Conducting surveys- finding out what others do or feel about particular topics Making puppet theatres and presenting puppet plays

            It would be valuable for each child to have a record of all the work attempted, perhaps in the form of a booklet in which key information from each unit is summarized. The basic information can be supplemented by drawings, cut-out pictures, stories and anecdotes relating to the student’s own health and physical situations.

 

 

Chapter: 23 MENTAL, EMOTIONAL HEALTH AND SEX EDUCATION

MENTAL, EMOTIONAL HEALTH AND SEX EDUCATION

Mental Health

Mental health is health of the mind as physical health is health of the body. As physical health means harmony and co-operation of all organs of the body, mental health means harmonious functioning of the whole personality. In its broadest sense, mental health means the measures of a person’s ability to shape his/her environment and to adjust to life, with a reasonable amount of success, efficiency and happiness. Mentally healthy persons are generally good workers, good friends, good citizens and good parents. A healthy mind maintains an even temper, an alert intelligence, socially considerate behaviour and a happy disposition.

Dr. C. K. Bush defines mental health as “the ability to get along with oneself and with others and to be independent in most things, but at the same time, to realize how dependent we are on others in our present-day complicated society. A mentally healthy person can withstand adversity, without being depressed and can rise up and try again. He/she is not self-centered but is interested in others and helps others without expecting any reward”.

Importance of Mental Health

Physical health and mental health are closely related together. A healthy mind can only be found in a healthy body. Physical fitness is not an end in itself but only a means to promote the mental and moral health of the child. Good health is not merely a matter of the body alone but also of the mind and the spirit. It is, therefore, impossible to deal intelligently with all aspects of physical health without having sufficient knowledge of mental health.

“A healthy mind, no less than a vigorous physique, is a worthy end in itself, and it is an important means of contributing to the fulfilment of all other human wants and desires. Healthy mindedness is essential to productivity and enjoyment in nearly every wholesome enterprise and its cultivation is largely a matter of education”. This is the importance of mental health.

In the words of Thomas D. Wood, “The child’s mental health and balance are of the utmost importance in relation to the general health. The complexity and stresses of modern living make necessary consideration of their mental hygiene if they are to meet them successfully. This is now definitely an educational responsibility”.

It is of paramount importance to give due attention to the development of mental health of children. There are mental laws, principles and situations which help in the development of healthy minds of children. Any disregard to these may lead to mental disorders and conflict which ultimately may bring frustration, misery and unhappiness. Teachers in the school can play a major role in providing such an environment in which children develop healthy mental attitudes.

What constitutes a Healthy mind?

The characteristics of a healthy mind are:

Normal appetite Calmness Cheerful outlook Good temper Socially acceptable habits Well regulated instincts Healthy philosophy of life Normal physical vitality Receptivity to new ideas Normal sex consciousness Good temper Energetic and strong will.

features of mental disorders

Undue anxiety Easily embarrassed in the presence of others Lack of courage Undeveloped habits and will Low intelligence Irritability Moodiness Depressed and pessimistic outlook Full of prejudice Abnormal interest in sex Bad temper

Factors on which Mental and Emotional Health Depends

Mental and emotional health depends on a number of factors. The major factors are:

Sublimation of instincts and emotions:

Instincts are natural urges or inborn tendencies in an animal to feel and behave towards a particular stimulus, in a characteristic manner. Instincts are primary movers and their function is mechanical, without intelligence and foresight. Emotions are intense feelings which stir up the whole organism. Every instinct of self-preservation gives rise to the emotion of fear while the instinct of food seeking, gives rise to the emotion of hunger and thirst. Thus, emotional factors are very important in the maintenance of good mental health or its breakdown. It is, Therefore, essential that instincts and emotions are controlled and sublimated. They must be right for the occasion.

Formation of good habits:

Habit is an acquired tendency to repeat an action or a movement. It is a reaction that gets fixed as a result of practice and repetition. All education is a continued