Spiritual_Wellness_Holistic_Health_and_the_Practic

Health Education as a Basic 23
FIGURE 4.1
Comprehensive School Health Education
Consumer
Health
Personal
Health
Family
Life
Community
Health
Nutritional
Health
Comprehensive
School Health
Education
Substance Use
and Abuse
Safety and Accident
Prevention
Growth and
Development
Prevention
and Control
of Disease and
Disorders
Environmental
Health
A COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM
Obviously, the health education effort will always be a multidisciplinary endeavor, for
it is a study of what Whitehead long ago described as “ life in all of its manifestations. ”
This might seem to indicate that the health dimension in a school could be nicely handled
by dividing it up among science, physical education, and social studies personnel.
After all, science teachers examine the human body, physical educators deal directly
with the benefits of exercise and physical fitness, and social studies frequently involves
a study of community factors essential to well - being.
However, research over the years has demonstrated that health education is poorly
handled in isolated and single - topic fashion. It requires direct attention in the classroom
with full subject matter status. This is chiefly because the topic of health and
wellness is both subtle and dramatic, both obvious and hidden, and means many things
to many people, which requires an in - depth treatment.
In order to assure an orderly and progressive consideration for the various major
health topics, it has proven effective to call for a comprehensive school health program
that avoids “ bandwagon ” approaches, crash programs, and piecemeal efforts
focused on one or two topics that may be enjoying popularity at a particular time. It is
a program in which health learning strategies are planned at every grade level and in
which there is a concern for student goals, course content, resources, evaluation procedures,
and the managerial function of health education coordinators. It is this shift