The School Health Programme: A Situational Revisit

Abstract

Summary: School Health Pro gramme (SHP) refers to all the aspects of the total school programme which contribute to the understanding, maintenance and improvement of the health of the school population, i.e. school children and staff. It consists of three main areas namely: school health ser vices, school health instruction and healthful school environment. This programme should be an important component of both medical and teacher education curricula. This com munication seeks to sensitize practising physicians, medical educators, medical students as well as trainee and practising teachers at all levels, to their roles in the SHP, by explo ring the historical background of SHP, outlining the roles of the physician and school teacher in the SHP, reviewing the Nigerian SHP situation, identifying pointers towards positive change and suggesting some interventions towards improvement.