Dr. Samad Ali Moradi
Introduction
I try to discuss that “Why should support a School Health Project in Afghanistan ?” I believe healthy kids make better students and better students make healthy communities. War facts in Afghanistan are so concerning problems and the consequences of violence on children are dramatic.
We are sure that the corporal punishment and psychological punishment in school and in home are usual. Also we know hunger student and malnutrition problem is meaningful. It is clear point that poor dental hygiene and lack of school hygiene is dangerous. School health should be based on disease prevention policy. Growing kids require a regular health “maintenance” program such as immunizations, dental checkups, physicals and eye exams.
But there are also some unclear points about school in Afghanistan. For example we do not know how a lot of students have been in a physical fight on school property. We do not know about child abuse and about drug related problems and smoking. Also we do not know about war stress problems (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) in children.
What is the simple project for School Health (SSHP)?
So I am going to establish a model for school health on base of simple but important need. I name this model “Simple School Health Project” or SSHP. What is the need? Many of today's problems with students are actually health related. Kids can't learn if they are hungry, tired, diseased or invalid. They can't study if they're using drugs. They can't concentrate if they're depressed or stressed. For example student can not concentrate if he/she has worried about violence. Kid can not see the blackboard if she/he has refractive eye disorders.
What is the Solution? SSHP is about involving parents and keeping kids healthy over time. Also it is about supporting a student's capacity to learn, imparting skills, knowledge, and judgment to help kids make smart choices for life. SSHP help reinforcing positive behaviors throughout the school day and making it clear good health and learning go hand in hand.
Helping young people grow into healthy, productive adults is the most important our purpose. Focusing on physical and emotional well-being of kids is the center of our project. Coordinating parents, schools, administrators, and communities as key partners help us for doing our job.
The Benefits
We have a great opportunity, because every school day, a lot of students attend so many schools. That's a big society! That's where the kids are! Parents, schools, and communities can make positive contributions to the health and education of afghan nation! “Schools could do more than perhaps any other single institution in society to help young people, and the adults they will become, live healthier, more satisfying, and more productive lives.”
The Benefits of the SSHP would be fewer behavior problems in the classroom, reduced school absenteeism and improved student performance . Also SSHP does new levels of cooperation among parents, teachers, and organizations. Finally in result it does a more positive spirit among educators and students. Health awareness made a part of the fabric of children's lives. Young people more prepared to become productive members of society.
SSHP economically is so chip but benefits of that are amazing. But ways to school health without professional stuff are complicated and I think it is not easy to achieve benefits. At first, SSHP may seem difficult. Remember, there are no set rules. Consider what will work best in local community.
Ways to school health
1- School Environment: To learn effectively, children must feel comfortable and supported. School organization should attend a safe, proper functioning school. Students should have minimal distractions. At first SSHP study on school environment and consider list of problems, then searching solutions and programming for that. For making solutions SSHP thinks what parents, educators, business leaders, and school officials can do. For example hold workshops on conflict resolution and decline pressure resistance.
2- Health Services: School is working with parents and health care personnel can provide critical preventive care. Health departments can sponsor immunization campaigns for students and teachers. Nurses can work with students with chronic health problems to manage symptoms/reduce time lost from school. Growing kids require a regular health “maintenance” program such as immunizations, dental checkups, simple hearing test or audiogram, physical and eye exams.
A: Complete health service: We program complete health service for school class III and IX student. School doctor with school nurse do the “Complete health service” and it consider immunization control, dental checkups, simple hearing test or audiogram, physical and eye exams, height and weight chart / growth chart, blood pressure and student physical and psychological health form for parent and teachers.
B: Brief health service: We program complete health service for school class I, V and VII student. School nurse does the “Brief health service” and it consider immunization control, physical and eye exams, height and weight chart and student physical and psychological health form for parent and teachers.
3- Health Education : School staff can work together to develop an ongoing approach to help students build health-related knowledge and skills from kindergarten through high school graduation. Examples of what can be done is health education teachers incorporate role-playing to teach conflict resolution, refusal skills, drug, tobacco use. Cafeterias provide opportunities to try healthful foods (discussed in class, reinforced in posters)
4- School Meals and Nutrition : Students should eat at least one meal a day at school. But what is the reality? Schools can examine meal programs, offer nutritious food, and develop educational activities to encourage good nutritional choices for life. For instance parents, school staff, and students partner can to select healthy cafeteria menus. Teacher can teach how student can plant for herself/himself food, for example planting vegetables in school or at home.
5- Physical Education: Physical activity can build self-esteem and leadership skills and reduce stress . Parents and schools can encourage students to be physically active. For instance challenge teachers and students to include physical fitness in daily routines . Encourage joint efforts between students and teachers to set up walking programs or develop a calendar of sports activities.
6- Counseling, Psychological, and Mental Health Services: We know that many students have the added stress of coping with unstable environmental condition and emotional challenges . Sch ool counselors influence positive behaviors by consulting and problem solving with students, families, and teachers. Schools can provide counseling, instruction, and referrals to professionals for students and families when is appropriate condition. Students get help and classroom disruptions are minimized . Staff can offer parents the opportunity to attend counseling support groups along with their children so referral services can be made available as soon as a problem is identified.
7- Staff Wellness : It is a clear reality that educators and school staff are important role models. Successful schools have healthy, highly motivated staff with low rates of employee absenteeism . Schools can enact programs to help teachers and staff feel their best and perform at peak levels. SSHP can set up simple health screenings such as blood pressure so staff can identify early symptoms of disease. Also SSHP can organize seminars on stress reduction, smoking cessation, physical fitness, or others sport clubs for teachers.
8- Parent/Community Partnerships: A closer working relationship between parents and schools is so important for achieving SSHP goals. Parents, businesses and community groups, and schools can form powerful coalitions to address health needs of students . For example SSHP can train community members volunteer to teach health units, e.g., dietitians focus on food choices. School manager can put in order open school facilities to public during non-school hours for physical activity, fitness sessions, family health seminars, social and recreational functions.
We will begin step by step
To begin SSHP, we need to know what's already happening in our school and community. So, it's time to ask some questions, like: What types of health programs exist? Are there connections among different health program efforts? What's working and what's not working? What's missing? What would make your approach a truly coordinated one?
1- At the first we should a ssess local, community, city, and state policies and public health mandates to determine what school health requirements exist. We should collect available data from local school district, government local official, and non-governmental organization.
2- Second step is i dentify existing components of a coordinated approach to SSHP. We should determine how public health department can support us for school health. Determination the level of parents support for school health is necessary. Religious organizations and mass media/reporters could work as the information link. Businesses, social service agencies and community groups could some help.
3- Step Three is Build School Support. A coordinated approach will look different in different communities. We should identify the most pressing child and adolescent health problems locally and start there! Health issues in urban areas often differ greatly from poor rural areas. Certain health and safety issues depend on geographic location. For example war and its violence effects on people is that part of the iceberg under water. Obviously psychological disorders are the big problem for treating without professional stuff.
4- Step four is overcoming objections. Basically we should try to set up plan without any conflict with local culture. But always we may run into some people who are opposed to SSHP. To determine who might be opposed, consider asking: What are common misconceptions about SSHP? What are differing views about how programs will affect children, parents, community? Which parts of the SSHP approach present a problem?