Chandigarh, January 29: The PGI, in collaboration with the UT Education and Health Departments, will introduce a health education course for Classes VI and VII in 20 government and private schools from the coming academic session.
This is after a 2016 need-assessment study by the PGI found that health education curriculum in schools was outdated and required update.
“The book titled ‘On the way to being healthy’ is ready for Classes VI and VII. We have got the go-ahead from the Education Department and from April, these will be introduced in 20 schools in Hindi and English languages. Teachers agreed to spare 50 hours in one year that is one period a week,” said National Strategic Knowledge Partner Dr JS Thakur, School of Public Health, PGI.
He said, “These books will be free of cost and will be funded by Rotary Club. We will try that there will be marks for this subject.”
The book has pictorials with basic information about things concerning health, including types of diseases, injuries, nutrition, hygiene, sanitation, yoga, meditation, air pollution, alcohol and drugs.
Earlier, piloting of the project was done at Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 15, and at another government school in Indira Colony. “The students here expressed desire to make it a part of the curriculum. Health education should be part and parcel of our studies. It should be a compulsory subject like maths or social science,” Dr Thakur said.
The PGI study had found that health education books in schools were outdated and uninteresting and lacked pictorial elements and teaching capacity.
What it includes
The book has pictorials with basic information about things concerning health, including types of diseases, injuries, nutrition, hygiene, sanitation, yoga, meditation, air pollution, alcohol and drugs.
