School as a place to motivate students for a responsible attitude towards their health: UNDP helps to promote healthy lifestyles
Podgorica, 19 February 2011
The interest of more than four thousand students in 176 elementary schools for the elective course on healthy lifestyle has made representatives of the Bureau for Education of Montenegro propose this course for high schools, too. “900 students in 39 classes have chosen this course in the 2008/2009 school year, while in 2010 the interest was much higher: 2400 students in 120 classes wanted to take this elective,” said Mr. Radoje Novović, Pedagogist at the Bureau for Education.
The course is unique in Montenegro for two reasons: education professionals were not solely responsible for its design (physicians, psychologists, sociologists and other professionals were all instrumental in the effort); and it is the first time in Montenegro that preventative measures health planning has been institutionalized within the education sector.
The Ministry of Education and Sport, Bureau for Education and UNDP held a media conference to promote the elective course on healthy lifestyles for primary schools, where it has been taught for three years now. The aim of introducing healthy lifestyles in primary schools was to promote responsible behavior, healthier lifestyles and to recognize the school as a place of prevention education.
The results of research in primary schools including several experimental and control student groups were also presented during the media conference. The experimental group consisted of children who attended the elective course on healthy lifestyles, and the control one included children who did not attend it, and the results of both groups were compared at the beginning and at the end of the year. The results showed a statistically significant effect of the healthy lifestyles elective course on the level of students' knowledge. This was used as an argument for the directors of elementary and secondary schools to promote the course within their schools more intensively.
Assistant Director of the Bureau for Education, Mr. Radoslav Milošević Atos said that students do not have enough knowledge about various diseases and bad habits, therefore healthy life styles cover a wide range of interests.
Psychometrician of the Test Center of Montenegro, Zorica Minić pointed out that the results of the experimental study revealed that children who had chosen healthy lifestyles showed much more knowledge in this area than others. “It was recommended that the elective course shoud also be included into secondary schools curricula so that the students of first and second grades of high schools and vocational schools can also study it,” she said. Ms. Minić added that the justification for introducing of the elective subject was also proved through an experimental research in which 50 percent of children in the eighth and ninth grade did not know the emergency phone number. Almost 70 percent did not know what is anorexia, and as many children had no information about when to approach dieting. “About 35 percent think it is safe to drive if you drink three glasses of alcohol, and every fourth student believes that drinking alcohol during pregnancy is not harmful. Only every third student would recognize addiction,” she explained.
Adviser at the Ministry of Education and Sport Ms. Tamara Milić said that the activities carried out in the previous period created a possibility for young people to adequately deal with risks coming out of society, family, school, or the factors contained in the person themselves and peer groups. “The Ministry has given recommendations to support the introduction of this course in secondary schools, as it is a good example of primary prevention and has been recognized in the region and beyond as an example of good practice,” Ms. Milić has said.
UNDP HIV/AIDS Programme Manager for Montenegro, Ms. Itana Labović pointed out that the advantage of the elective course on healthy lifestyles is that it is being conducted in an institutional setting where children learn other skills, too. “The national response to HIV / AIDS has also been woven into this course, as well as the strategy to combat drug abuse and strategies for mental and reproductive health. The greatest value of this course is that it intervenes within the population instead of waiting for the problem to arise. The advantage is that it does not work on an individual basis but in peer groups, where children learn in one place and at the same time, learn about themselves and others,” she added.
Assistant Director of Institute of Education Mr. Radoslav Milošević explained that lately there has been less physical activity and more staying indoors and spending time near a computer. “Despite large numbers of sources there is still not enough knowledge about the disease, various bad habits; therefore the course on healthy life styles covers a wide range of interests and intertwines with many other school subjects. Separated in its development within the education system, it fills the void, and is a big step forward as an optional subject that can be selected in the eighth and ninth grade,” concluded Mr. Milošević.
Mr. Radoje Novović, Pedagogist at the Department of Education added that the elective course on healthy lifestyles has been studied by 4100 students in 176 schools during this school year. “Our goal is for school to become a place of preventive education and to motivate students for a responsible attitude towards their health. Most interest in this subject was shown at the “Marko Miljanov” Elementary School in Bijelo Polje, “Dragisa Ivanović” El. School in Podgorica and “Maršal Tito” El. School in Ulcinj”, said Mr. Novović.
The introduction of this course in secondary schools is planned in the new National Strategy for HIV / AIDS 2010-2014 and will be, as in the previous period, partly financed by the UNDP’s project for scaling up response to HIV/AIDS among most-at-risk populations in Montenegro.
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The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Montenegro (as the Primary Recipent of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria grant and coordinating agency for Programme implementation supported by this Grant) has targeted most-at-risk population groups in its educational efforts to prevent HIV, namely: sex workers, injection drugs users, men who have sex with men, sailors, prisoners, Roma youth, workers in the tourism industry and young people. Efforts to reach the larger general public are also part of the programme but the goal of long term prevention necessitates outreach efforts aimed at youth.
There are an estimated 200,000 young people in Montenegro. The biggest success since the programme’s inception has been the design and implementation of a ‘healthy lifestyles’ course. The pilot course, - which includes a section on HIV, other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and safe sex practices, mental and emotional health, physical activity, prevention of injuries, healthy nutrition, immune system etc. - has reached 2700 students in the 2008 – 2009 school year. The pilot has been universally hailed as a success and became part of the curriculum of all Montenegrin elementary schools in the 2009 – 2010 school year.
Contributors to the course’s content first designed a syllabus (which included sections on the concept of healthy life style, illicit drug use and abuse, violence and bullying, health and fitness, nutrition and hygiene, recreation and sports, body defense system and infectious diseases, reproductive health and sexual education, mental and emotional health, psychoactive substances and smoking, prevention of violence and environment, etc.) and then got down to the hard work of detailing exactly what would be taught…. For more on this success story please go to Hiv in School Curriculum
