Plus

Plus

Healthy initiatives
By Aaysha Cader
The 'healthy schools' concept triggered by the dengue epidemic has seen the number of schoolchildren currently being admitted to hospital with the disease reduced by half.

"Children spend most of the day in schools, away from the care of their parents so a healthy environment is very important," said World Health Organization representative for Sri Lanka, Dr. Kan Tun at the Healthy Schools Awards ceremony held at the BMICH last week. The Chief Guest at the event was Dr. Suranjan de Silva. Conducted by the Public Health Department of the CMC, the competition is the brainchild of Dr. Pradeep Kariyawasam, the CMC's Chief Medical Officer of Health, and is backed by the WHO.

What began as an 'idea' for the promotion of more hygienic school environments within Colombo gradually derived the status of a competition. Winners were chosen in five different school categories.

Initially, each school was expected to submit their written policies and action plans which they hoped to implement during the year. After that it was up to them to implement the strategies. Seventy of Colombo's estimated 150 schools participated in the project and 12 schools have achieved healthy school status, while 11 of them were recognized for carrying out commendable projects. The CMC hopes to present special awards next year for the best anti-violence campaign, safest playground, ideal recycling project, the best project for the lowering of school-bag weight, cleanest sanitary facilities etc.

Dr. Tun said a project of this nature is noteworthy since it allows the students to play an integral role in their development. In addition to clean water, classrooms and proper sanitation, the project also covers improved medical care and providing a safe environment for children.

Of the criteria for awarding points, Dr. Kariyawasam said that 50% was allocated for policy statements, goals and action plans, and that marks were also given for inside and outside classroom cleanliness, mosquito control and recycling projects. The schools were continuously monitored by Municipal Health Officers who visited the schools.

The students of Gothami Balika Vidyalaya, which won the award for the healthiest national school, conducted poster campaigns and went class to class, telling students how and what to do to keep their school clean. They also launched a project to lower the weight of schoolbags of students in their school.

The most hygienic among government schools for the year was St. Clare's College. Says a student of the school, Michelle, 16, "Five girls would come to school a little earlier every morning and make sure dustbins were cleared properly." They even took the initiative to add a little more greenery to the school premises, as it 'seemed too brown and dusty'.

Holy Family Convent, Bambalapitiya, emerged the healthiest semi-government school, while the award for the most hygienic international school within Colombo went to Lanka International School. The award for the healthiest private school was won by St. Bridget's Convent. They conducted workshops on health and environmental awareness, one such being a presentation by the Mihisara production team of Young Asia Television. Each class was assigned a day in which to clean up the school garden, and the students made arrangements for the disposal of garbage into compost-producing bins.

The introduction of the three-bin system was yet another initiative of the 'healthy schools' campaign. SriLankan Airlines sponsored the bins for 20 schools in the city. The schools will eventually contact separate plants in order to recycle the paper, glass and plastic waste collected in the coloured bins.

Back to Plus