The school children can be guided to live in a healthful manner. In order to establish certain habits and principles of living and for providing them with adequate health knowledge, subjects should be incorporated in the courses of studies, but the question arises in what way the knowledge about health will be provided to the students.
It has been customary for schools to provide health information on traditional lines, concentrating too much on textbooks of hygiene, but such a study of health and hygiene is too bookish to have any link with either the health of the individual or of the community, as it completely neglects the practical aspect of the subject matter.
No doubt a certain amount of systematic study of these subjects is necessary and also it is equally necessary to make health instruction interesting and practical as far as possible. Hence the problem of health education should be looked from a different point of view and there must be a new way of approach and treatment of the subject matter.
There is nothing unique about the methods of health education. At present the teachers and educators have at their disposal a whole host of visual and auditory aids by means of which they can present the ‘health instruction in an interesting and appreciable manner.
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However, different aspects of health education should be carried on at all stages of the educational process. But there are certain aspects which need greater importance and can be more easily dealt with at a particular stage of education than others.
For imparting health education the following factors must be taken in to consideration.
Environment:
The most important factor for imparting health education is the environment. It is the type of home where the child is born and brought up, parents, members of the family, neighbor, community, the healthful school condition and type of school teachers which mold and shape the individual personality. So high priority should be given to the improvement of the physical and human environment at the time of imparting health education
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Printed Material the simplest rules of health can be taught in an interesting manner by the use of pictures on the walls, leaflets, booklets, pamphlets, and other illus- stratify materials. Posters and charts are another form of printed materials which can promote health education. But proper care must be taken in deciding how and when they are to be displayed before the pupils. Press is also serving as the medium of health education and also gaining importance.
Film, Film Strip, News Reel:
These are the latest method of imparting health education. Films have importance because they directly appeal to the eyes and help in motivating the children for health instruction.
Spoken Word:
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The more usually recognized ^teaching medium is the spoken word, but the speech as a medium of factual instruction must be directly adjusted to the mental development of the children.
Radio:
It is the most powerful organ of imparting health information through some excellent discussion programmes and by the dramatic presentation of health materials.
Television:
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Television provides the opportunity of making the people health conscious through its visual and auditory power and serve as the most potent instrument in raising the general level of health knowledge and health behavior of the whole community.
Whatever may be the media available for imparting health instruction, careful consideration must be given’ to their utilization. Proper tool should be used at proper time and in proper manner and by proper person. Because right, approaching and right programmes alone can ensure the better health of the children.