EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

 

The rationale of the Health Education Programme envisions combining the efforts of all stakeholders and players, on all social levels, involved in promoting healthy lifestyle and the prevention of risk behaviour. That should be coupled with an appreciation of the fact that health education at school is an integral part of a comprehensive action plan to promote health among the young.
In this sense, the implementation of a comprehensive Health Education approach comprises:

• Creating an environment supportive of preventive messages incorporated into the Health Education Programme;
• Mobilizing all stakeholders in school;
• Improving communication among participants in school life;
• Establishing a proactive and wholesome bond between the school and the local community.

These goals can be achieved through a variety of extracurricular activities in support of the Health Education Programme, such as:

• Adoption of a school health promotion policy
• Design and adoption of alternative rules and procedures on drug use within the perimetre of the school
• Creation of an support network of experts aimed at assisting the school in cases of drug-related incidents
• Working with parents
• Extracurricular activities aimed at improving the school environment and the communication among students, teachers and parents

Each of these activities has a place in asserting the school as an environment that promotes health and prevention of risk behaviour among adolescents, inclusive of preventing drug use.
Health promotion school policies are based on the stated commitment by the school to promote healthy lifestyle among students. The adoption of the policy by all groups of stakeholders in school by means of the school referendum directly contributes to mobilizing them all and publicizing health promotion events. This also fosters a positive ambience while improving communication among students, teachers and parents on issues related to health.
The adoption of rules and procedures against drug use (legal and illegal) on the territory of the school facilitates discussions on topics considered taboo such as drug use, risk-behaviour, while at the same time allows students to make a contribution to the functioning of the school, creating a sense of balance between rights and responsibilities. The adoption of rules and procedures can be effected in various ways. These are some of the possibilities:

• Setting up groups of students to design their own version of rules and procedures, followed by a general debate and a final version;
• Rules and procedures are drawn up by a school team and are tabled for discussion and adoption by the students in sessions or during Health Education classes;
• Establishing a work group composed of students, teachers and parents, to draft a version of the rules and procedures and submit it for approval to the students’ council, teachers’ council and the school board.

The selection of a version to serve as the basis for the rules and procedures against drug-use within the school is determined by the traditional exchanges between stakeholders in school, the potential and willingness to involve as many representatives of different interested parties as possible in the discussions and the avenues the schools employ to change the way they function.
Working with parents is quite important in order to keep them informed about school, events in connection with the promotion of healthy lifestyle and preventing high-risk behaviour, while at the same time acquiring practical knowledge and skills to communicate with their children about drug use, sexual behaviour and other topics. As part of the project an awareness course on drug use is being tested, intended to engage parents more in school activities.
There are many possibilities for diverse extracurricular activities to assist in involving all stakeholders in school life and community representatives and in creating an atmosphere of trust and positive engagement in school events such as concerts, charity sales, poster competitions on specific topics, school event logo and motto competitions, to mention but a few.

The implementation of the Health Education Programme should be accompanied by extracurricular activities that endorse the school as an healthy environment conducive to the prevention of risk-behaviour among the young. The introduction of health education classes alone is insufficient to create a sense of change in school life as perceived by students. Informal action is needed so that the prevention-oriented messages conveyed in class gain credence.