School health club programme re-introduced

─ there are health-related and other social issues affecting teens which the programme is designed to address

─ to ensure effective functioning of programme, Regions 3 and 4 teachers were trained on March 28-29, Region 10 on April 1-3 

DPI, Guyana, Monday, April 1, 2019

The Secondary School Health Clubs programme is being reintroduced throughout Guyana. In this regard, with the Ministry of Public Health will be training teachers to facilitate the programme. Training has already been conducted with teachers in Regions 3 and 4.

A school health club is an organisational forum designed for adolescents to execute a series of activities aimed at improving their health and wellness and the environment. The health club is required to gear discussions and activities around topics and issues that affect students as they transition from childhood to adulthood.

One of the facilitators of the training of the teachers.

Some of the teachers who were engaged in training.

Some of the areas for discussions at the club also involves adolescent pregnancies, drug abuse, trading illicit drugs in schools, domestic violence, sexual abuse, hygiene and relationship.

To ensure the effective functioning of these health clubs and the programme, teachers from schools in Region 3 and 4 were trained on March 28 and 29, and a similar exercise is set for April 1-3 for teachers in Region 10.

Before facilitating a club, teachers must first conduct a needs assessment of the students and the school’s surrounding community. This will provide the opportunity for a unique programme to be designed catering specifically to have the students’ needs addressed.

The health programme is being reintroduced after it was determined that there are social and health-related issues affecting teens, which are contributory to their academic performance.

According to the ministry’s School Health Officer, Dr. Faqueeda Watson-Jones, “Everyone will play a role in the school health club ranging from the PTA (Parent Teacher Association), persons from civil society in the school’s community, all government ministries including Ministry of Education and the Department of Social Cohesion… Youth, Sport and Culture”.

Delicia Haynes.

Images: Ministry of Public Health – Adolescent Health Unit.