Health promotion in schools is an investment for the future generations, said Ali Asghar Fani, education minister on the occasion of Health Week, organized at Tehran’s Razi International Conference hall.
Today, most developed countries are devising programs to guarantee physical, mental and social health of students, he said, adding that, “The national ‘education reform document’ developed in 2003 and approved by the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution in 2012, includes reforms in areas of: scientific and technological; moral and religious; artistic and aesthetic; economic, professional, political and social spheres, and physical education.”
The reasons for addressing health promotion through schools are clear. With more children receiving formal education, schools are the best platform to reach out to the youth and adolescents and their families in an organized way, IRNA quoted him as saying.
“At present, we have 13.5 million school students, who can be trained in inculcating healthy habits. In this regard, last year (ended March 20), we signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the health ministry.”
Increasing health concepts in primary school books and providing comprehensive health education are among the contents of the MoU, which will be implemented in the next year school year (starts September 23).
The implementation of the iron-supplement program for over 2,250 girl students and Vitamin D for 1 million students in 15 provinces, are among measures taken in cooperation with the health ministry.
