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Date : 15/03/2004
Source: Free State Provincial Government
Title: O Tsopo: Launch of Health Promoting Schools programme


THE SPEECH OF THE FREE STATE MEC FOR HEALTH, MRS OUMA TSOPO, ON THE OCCASION OF THE LAUNCH OF THE ROLL OUT OF THE MOTHEO HEALTH PROMOTING SCHOOLS, GLEN, 15 March 2004

Programme Director
Honourable Premier
Honoured Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen.

Introduction

The need for the implanting of the seed of health consciousness in the young minds of school learners are forever more urgent in our epoch than it was ever before. The world at large is confronted by many health challenges, including environmental degradations as can be seen in terms of El Nino, which is wreaking havoc environmentally.

As the Department of Health we have forged ahead with what we call the Health Promoting Schools for the purpose of cultivating in the minds of learners the important of being health and environmentally conscious. These schools are in keeping with the idea of voluntarism, which has come to be one of the remarkable values during these ten years of our democracy as a country. Through these Health Promoting Schools learners, including educators, are called upon to set aside their spare time to address many of the health and environmental challenges that are confronting us today. Through these Health Promoting Schools we further anticipate voluntary participation by several stakeholders, including learners, educators, parents and health personnel, in the promotion and maintenance of the health of learners, staff, families and community members.

We have now been on this route of launching Health Promoting Schools in the province for some time. We have already launched Health Promoting Schools in the Motheo, Thabo Mofutsanyana, Lejweleputswa, Northern Free State and Xhariep districts. We undertook to roll out these schools in every district and today this process of rolling out Health Promoting Schools begins in Motheo district.

Motsamaisi wa mosebetsi, programo ena ya ho thakgolwa ha dikolo tse ntshetsang pele morero wa bophelo bo botle ke programo eo re e tshehetsang ka hohlehohle re le lefapha la bophelo bo botle. Ho thehwa ha dikolo tsena ke ntho ya bohlokwa ho latela karolo eo di e bapalang thutong ya batho le bana ba dikolo ka tsa bophelo bo botle. Ke se ke hlalositse hore ka dikolo tsena hape re ntshetsa pele leano la boithaopi leo selemong sena mopresidente Thabo Mbeki a itseng Afrika Borwa e kene letsemeng. Tshehetso ya setjhaba sa Free State ho leano lena ke ntho eo rona re le mmuso wa profensi ena re e shebelletseng selemong sena le dilemong tse tlang. Jwale re bolelang ka dikolo tse ntshetsang pele morero wa bophelo bo botle? Ke rata hore jwale ke hlalose ntlha ena ka ho otloloha.

What is a Health Promoting School?

First of all let me state that a Health Promoting School is established within the context of advancing the idea of health promotion in the community. Now, the basic objective of health promotion is the prevention of diseases through educating people about taking care of themselves. By definition health promotion is creating awareness or consciousness about health with the objective of disease prevention or management. Therefore, within the context of health promotion, a Health Promoting School aims to create healthy and safe environments for learning and working through holistic development of schools.

Programme Director, it goes without saying that the role that Health Promoting Schools can play as health promoting agents is a critical one. Promoting health of children through schools had been an important goal of the World Health Organisation (WHO). The vision of these schools is that all school-going children should be part of schools that are working towards the promotion of lifelong learning, healthy living and well-being. A Health Promoting School combines education and health as two sides of the same coin. Within this school there is a continuous attempt to improve both the standard of education and of health. This school adheres to the two inter-linked goals of "education for all" and "health for all". The setting in the health promoting school is therefore conducive to live, learn and work.

Motsamaisi wa mosebetsi, re le lefapha la bophelo bo botle tjhebelo pele ya rona ke ho aha setjhaba sa Free State se phetseng hantle mme se ikemetse. Ho latella tlhaloso ya dikolo tse tswellisang morero wa bophelo bo botle pele ho hlakile hore maikemisetso a dikolo tsena ke hore ho be le bophelo bo botle ka hara baahi mme sena se etsahale ke tsela ya hore baahi ba ikemele. Sena se tsamayelana le molaetsa o mong wa rona wa Vukuzenzele moo re reng baahi ba Free State ba eme ka maoto ho ntlafatsa maphelo a bona. Morerong ona mmuso o tla tshehetsa ka hohlehohle matsapa a nkuwang ke baahi ho ntlafatsa maphelo a bona. Ho etsa mohlala, kgweding ena e fetileng re ne re fana ka peo ho baahi ka hara profensi hore ba qale ka ho itjalla dirapa tsa meroho e le e nngwe ya tsela ya ho thibela tlala. Ena ke yona ponelopele ya rona re le lefapha moo re batlang ho bona setjhaba sa rona sa Free State se kgona ho itlhokomela kgahlanong le mafu ka kakaretso. Re tla rata ho bona phokotseho ya bakudi dipetleleng tsa rona ka ha batho ba bangata ba tla be ba phetse hantle. Sena se tla etsa hore re boloke tjhelete e ngata eo e kannang ya sebediswa mabakeng a mangata.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is therefore clear how important these schools are in the lives of our people and communities. The school forms an important part of the community. The Department of Education launched and put in place a programme of schools as centres of community participation specifically for this reason. In targeting the schools we are also planting a seed in a fertile ground since the school is obviously where children are. It is children who will be able to absorb the meaning and significance of health promotion and also carry it into the future. Programme Director, the schools themselves are beset by several health problems that necessitates this concept of health promoting schools. Many of our schools are facing challenges around health problems such as alcohol and substance abuse, worm infections, HIV/AIDS and STDs, immunisable diseases, oral health problems, tuberculosis, unplanned pregnancies and so on. We need to face these challenges head on in the schools with the full understanding that our children are the future and we need to invest in them.

Honoured guests, it is then our pleasure that we launch the following schools in the Motheo district so that they can serve as role models for other schools where we will be rolling out the health promoting schools programme. This is thus for sustainability purposes:

* Kolisang Khakhau Farm School from Glen
* Willows Farm School from Willows
* Semanjan Farm School from Roodewal
* Kgotsofalo Farm School from Tierpoort
* Thari Ya Tshepe Primary School from Botshabelo
* Botlehali Primary School from Bloemfontein.

We are also today awarding trophies to three primary schools in the urban category, which have performed very well and worked very hard.

In the rural category trophies are also be awarded to the three schools, which have also performed above others.

Conclusion:

Motsamaisi wa mosebetsi, bomme le bontate, thuto e nngwe ya bohlokwa eo e tlamehang ho kena dikelellong tsa bana ba dikolo ke tsebo ya nalane ya naha ya rona. Selomong sena re keteka dilemo tse leshome tsa boipuso jwalo ka naha ya Afrika Borwa. Ho bohlokwa hore bana ba dikolo ba kene ka sekgahla ketekong ya dilemo tsena tse leshome tsa boipuso mme ba be le tsebo e felletseng ya nnete ya nalane ya dilemo tsena tsa boipuso. Sona selemong sena, kgweding ena e tlang naha ya rona e tlabe e etsa nalane ka ho kena dikgethong tsa boraro naha mme ho bohlokwa hore bana ba dikolo ba dilemong tsa ho vouta ba nke karolo dikgethong tsena tse tlang tseo e leng karolo ya bohlokwa nalaneng ena. Le bokamoso ba naha ena mme ho bohlokwa hore le nke boikarabelo bo boholo ba ho bopa bokamoso bona boo e leng ba lona. Ho nka karolo dikgethong ke tsela e nngwe ya ho bopa bokamoso bo tsitsitseng.

Programme director, I also want to raise a challenge with the Motheo district to start incorporating schools from other municipalities in their programme so that we have a representative pool of schools in our health promotion programme. I am really expecting this to be done sooner than later.

I thank you.

Enquiries: Elke de Witt
Manager: Corporate Communication Services Free State Department of Health
Tel: (051) 405 4200
Fax: (051) 403 3076/409 8008
Cell: 083 561 6517
E-mail: dewitte@doh.ofs.gov.za
Issued by: Department of Health, Free State Provincial Government
15 March 2004

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