Health Education

Health Education is a very important topic in today’s world not only for general students but also for students with special needs. Health education not only contains physical health but also Mental health which in today’s time is of utmost importance.

Health education develops the awareness, skills, and positive attitudes of students towards health. Health education teaches physical, mental, emotional, and social health. It helps students to improve and preserve their health, avoid illness, and reduce risky behaviours. Health education curricula and training help students learn skills so that they can make healthier decisions in their lives. It is important for students as it builds their health awareness and attitudes. Health education is not just about being well. It also focuses on emotional, mental, and social wellbeing. Educating students on the value of wellness is building their inspiration. As a consequence, they aim to promote good health, prevent illness and avoid risky behaviour. Instilling the value of good health in schools helps students make healthier decisions as they grow older and continue to do so in their lives.

Health Education is really important in school. It allows them to realize the risks of using illegal drugs, smoking, and consuming alcohol. It helps avoid deaths, illnesses such as obesity and diabetes, and sexually transmitted diseases. Parents and students must really understand the importance of health education in school. It instils skills, knowledge, and a positive attitude in students. The curriculum for health education in all schools and colleges must include Emotional health, social health, Physical Health, and Mental health. All of these are really important. WHO (World Health Organization) promotes school health programs as a strategic means to prevent important health risks among youth and to engage the education sector in efforts to change the educational, social, economic, and political conditions that affect risk. The Importance of Health Education must be understood by all schools. These schools can also be called health-promoting schools.

Adolescents with disabilities deserve to be taught about sex/health education issues in order to escape the unfortunate statistics awaiting them in the future if this education continues to be dismissed or simply ignored. Negative issues such as sexual abuse, substance abuse, and limited knowledge about STD’s, HIV/AIDS and safe sex can be avoided with sufficient education on these topics.

Schools with health education in their curricula focus on certain things. This makes the students of this school more aware of their health. They understand all kinds of health and how to stay healthy. Such schools focus on

• Caring for oneself and others
• Making healthy decisions and taking control over life’s circumstances
• Creating conditions that are conducive to health
• Building capacities for peace, shelter, education, food, income, a stable ecosystem, equity, social justice, sustainable development
• Preventing leading causes of death, disease, and disability: helminths, tobacco use, HIV/ AIDS/ STDs, sedentary lifestyle, drugs and alcohol, violence and injuries, unhealthy nutrition
• Influencing health-related behaviours

 Mental Health

Mental health awareness is an important issue for all educators, who are often the first line of defense for their students. Education professionals have recognized the impact that a student’s mental health has on learning and achievement, and they realize that there’s a great deal that can be done to help students with mental health issues.

Mental health education is very important for students with and without disabilities as students encounter a lot of problems and come across a lot of new information due to the advent of technology and internet, students are coming across a lot of information which may or may not be suitable for their mental health, in today’s time due to the pandemic also children are going through immense mental pressure as they had been confined to their homes for almost a year and a half without interaction with their friends and classmates they were only glued to the digital world which  has somehow created a negative impact on them as their social skills have become weak and they have forgotten the social skills also which in return is creating problem for students as the schools have re-opened.

Until mental health education is a mandatory aspect of all schools, teachers and administrators can work to promote awareness with their students. Key elements to shine a light on include the concept of self-care and responsibility for one’s own mental health and wellness, with an emphasis on the fact that mental health is an integral part of health, and the concept of recovery from mental illness.

Teachers and students should be provided with ways to recognize signs of developing mental health problems, and there should be opportunities around the awareness and management of mental health crises, including the risk of suicide or self-harm. Further, instruction should address the relationship between mental health, substance abuse, and other negative coping behaviours, as well as the negative impact of stigma and cultural attitudes toward mental illness.

A healthy person will enjoy life to the maximum. He will perform his duties in a responsible manner. It is an advantage to the family, society, and to the nation as a whole. He’s still full of life. He’s enjoying a long and happy life. A prosperous farmer is happier than a health less king. Health education helps people to make healthier decisions. A sound mind is residing in a sound body.

Sharv Datt Anand

Assistant Professor

Manav Rachna University