AT the National Seminar on Strengthening Health Promoting
School held in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday, State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
delivered a speech that brings the positives of social studies, sexual and
physical education to light while impelling a greater need for participation
from the school faculties and student’s communities.
The motto for the seminar was “Physically and Mentally Fit
Youth for The Brighter Future” and took place in Myanmar International
Convention Centre II.
Opening remarks
The two-day national seminar is organized by the Ministry of
Education and Ministry of Health and Sports and will focus on methods for
dissuading students from bad habits and promoting healthy lifestyle choices,
said the State Counsellor.
She said this encompasses ensuring schools and universities
are free of drugs, no one uses cigarettes, tobacco or quid, combating
alcoholism and its negative consequences, lowering traffic accidents, reducing
excessive electronic gaming among students, encouraging habits for healthy
living, and including reproductive health in school teaching.
The State Counsellor expressed hope that everyone responsible
for practically implementing the results of this seminar, especially the
education ministry, will carry out their tasks with dedication.
She said the nationwide census in 2014 shows there are 14.4
million teenagers under 15 in the whole country and 9 million citizens between
the ages of 15 and 24. This accounts for 46.5 per cent of Myanmar’s population.
She said the estimates for this year is roughly the same with 15.06 million
under 15 and 9.41 million between 15 and 24, accounting for 45 per cent of the
national population.
The 20% demographic
Surveys in 2018 show there were 9,144,469 students in the
47,005 basic education schools throughout Myanmar and 1,527 monastic schools
across the nation provided education to 309,938 students, said the State
Counsellor. She said these students and those from private schools made up 20
per cent of the nationwide population.
Furthermore, there is also a sizable student population in
public and private universities.
The State Counsellor said these high numbers point out how
much of an impact the younger generation will have on the country’s future. She
said they will require a safe and healthy learning environment that promotes
wholesome living so that they can access a bright and fulfilling future.
The State Counsellor said the Ministry of Education is
responsible for implementing healthcare, security and development in youths
while the Ministry of Health and Sports is tasked with providing technological
support and medical services. She called on related ministries, international
organizations, NGOs, civil society organizations, and ethnic organizations to
cooperate as well.
Physical & mental hurdles
According to the 2016 Myanmar Global School Health Survey
(GSHS), malnutrition rates for teens between the ages of 13 to 17 are as high
as 18 per cent while 10 per cent have obesity, said the State Counsellor. She
said the 2017 Myanmar Micronutrient and Food Consumption Survey show that 18.8
per cent of teens between the ages of 15 and 19 are underweight while 5.2 per
cent are overweight.
She also said only one in ten teenagers undertake at least an
hour of physical activity per day, which the World Health Organization states
is a minimal requirement for healthy living. In addition, one in ten teenagers
feels isolated from their peers.
When you compare the 2007 GSHS with the 2016 GSHS you will
see that less and less time is being given for physical activities while one in
six person is increasing their screen time, said the State Counsellor.
She said within the ten year period from 2007 to 2016,
smoking has risen from 2 to 6.6 per cent, chewing tobacco from 3.6 to 8
percent, and alcohol consumption from 1.4 to 4.3 per cent, adding that half of
it is consumed by children under 14 years of age.
Health promotion system
The State Counsellor said the Ministry of Health and Sports
has been following WHO’s Health Promoting School Framework since 1996 to
promote healthy lifestyle choices among the students, their peers and families.
These activities include healthcare awareness campaigns, cleaning the school
campus and promoting personal hygiene, disease prevention, nutritional
programmes and food safety, school health security, physical education
programmes, aiding healthy transition from school life to adulthood, providing
social support and counselling, and conducting training and research
initiatives.
The State Counsellor said while the aforementioned activities
are undertaken in schools across the nation, data from the 2018 Health
Management Information System show that only 42 per cent are truly implementing
the higher healthcare tasks.
The State Counsellor said effective methods for imparting
general health knowledge in students is through the school health security
programmes, systematic teaching of social studies, and from their friends and
social media.
Developing social skills, awareness in the classroom
Social studies is an important lesson for students who spend
most of their time within school buildings and the subject, having been taught
since 1998, has been added as a main subject beginning from the 2017-2018
academic year, said the State Counsellor.
She said the context of the subject consists social skills,
environment and sanitation, disease prevention and nutrition, sexual and reproductive
health and rights, HIV/AIDS, drug use, and emotional intelligence. Furthermore,
the curriculum is designed to deliver knowledge-based and skill-based lessons
to students to develop their communication, thinking and emotional capacity.
However, the State Counsellor pointed out that social studies
is still not well received due to constraints in capable staff and teaching
aid, and a lack of interest from teachers and parents.
Taboo on sex ed must give way
The State Counsellor then talked about comprehensive
sexuality education. She said that it is a rights-based and gender-focused
approach to sexuality education that is taught with age-appropriate information
consistent with the evolving capacities of young people.
She explained that it incorporates discussions on family
life, relationships, value, rights, culture, gender roles, discrimination and
abuse, self-care, human anatomy, development and reproductive health. She said
these programmes help young people develop self-esteem and life skills that
encourage critical thinking and enables them to make decisions that do not
undermine their happiness or of others.
If we observe carefully, health promoting school activities
are cost-effective and cover a wide demographic while effectively supporting
student learning and attendance, said the State Counsellor.
She reiterated that the success of these programmes is not
the sole responsibly of the union ministries but requires active, resolute
participation from educators, parents and the students themselves.
Commitment to rules still frail
The State Counsellor said the Youth Policy was released in
2017 and drafts for relevant strategies are underway. She said we need to
ensure no one gets left behind and strive for the inclusivity of all youths,
regardless of whether they are living with disabilities, in remote areas or
outside of schools.
The State Counsellor said there needs to be greater adherence
to the rule of law to instil peace and stability across the nation. She brought
attention to the weak enforcement of the updated 2016 Control of Smoking and
Consumption of Tobacco Products Law, which forbids the use and sales of tobacco
products inside school and university campuses, within 100 feet of these
institutions, and to persons under the age of majority.
The State Counsellor said teaching strategies for teens need
to be engaging and effective, as they are more attuned to new and innovative
technology. She said we need to carefully consider having teens participate in
research surveys which concern their age group and organize sustainable tasks
for them.
Best efforts despite insufficient resources
The State Counsellor said more focus should also be placed on
physical education as it develops physical wellbeing, reduces addiction to
electronic games, and fosters cooperation, teamwork and sportsmanship. She said
the majority of the public think only the health and sports ministry is
responsible for school healthcare assignments when in reality it is also the
duty of the teachers, parents and students to promote it as well. The State
Counsellor acknowledged that the Ministry of Health and Sports does not have
enough human resources, finance and equipment to provide the full benefits and
services it needs to. She also highlighted the need for the Ministry of
Education to appoint healthcare experts in schools for ensuring the programmes
are effectively implemented.
Concluding remarks
The State Counsellor said there is a lot of room left for
enacting comprehensive national policies that safeguards the health and safety
of students and youths, who are the priceless human resources of Myanmar. She
ended her speech by urging the two ministries to work hand in hand in realizing
the ethos of the seminar’s motto: “Physically and Mentally Fit Youth for The
Brighter Future”.
Afterwards, the State Counsellor took a group documentary
photo with everyone in attendance. Next, the State Counsellor viewed the
exhibitions related to promoting healthcare in schools on display.
The seminar was attended by the following persons:
Union Ministers U Min Thu, Thura U Aung Ko, Dr. Aung Thu, Dr.
Myo Thein Gyi, Dr. Myint Htwe, U Soe Win and Dr. Win Myat Aye, deputy
ministers, Hluttaw representatives, members of the Nay Pyi Taw Council,
state/regional ministers for social affairs, facilitators for the panel
discussions, ministerial permanent secretaries and departmental heads, experts
attending to give lectures, officials from international organizations,
representatives of student unions, and students from basic education schools in
Nay Pyi Taw.
MNA
(Translated by Zaw Htet Oo)
Photo: MNA
Ref; The Global New Light of Myanmar
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