West Bengal Government Introduces Health Lessons in School Curriculum

We have all heard the famous quote “Health is Wealth”. Due to excessive unhealthy habits and intake of junk foods by the students, the obesity among students is on an increase. It is extremely important for all of us to take the needful actions within time in order to save our future generation from health hazards.

One of the best ways to handle the situation is by making children at a young age itself about the importance of health lifestyle and additionally the ways to do it. In order to impart awareness amongst the students about obesity and its ill effects, the West Bengal Education Department has decided to integrate the lessons on the importance of maintaining healthy lifestyles in the school curriculum. They believe that this way they will be able to tackle the situation. The actual implementation shall start from primary education for which the funds have already been released. The curriculum designed is such that it would offer to tackle the practical aspects of dealing obesity and is not only limited to theoretical knowledge. The teachers shall explain to the students the need, importance and art of practicing yoga on a daily basis. The students shall be encouraged to keep a check of various parameters or symptoms of obesity such as increased blood pressure, blood sugar and body weight. The school shall buy the instruments that are required to measure these parameters out of the funds that the school has been provided with. A senior official has informed that the department has already purchased many of the instruments such as sphygmomanometer and stethoscope for measuring blood pressure; glucometer for measuring blood sugar; and weighing machines, skinfold callipers for understanding the state of obesity. The teachers will undergo a specialized training under the guidance of general physicians in handling the instruments. The teachers will also be taught about the impact of blood pressure, blood sugar and how obesity can be controlled or prevented through controlling food habits and regular exercising. Primary schools have been sanctioned with Rs. 3,000, upper primary institutions would receive Rs. 7,000 and Rs. 10,000 would be provided to secondary and higher secondary schools. We as responsible citizens must teach our children the importance of healthy living and should make sure that the children follow the health lessons which they learn in school, at home also. Lets hope that this improves the situation a little and helps in bettering the health of students.

By: Anuja Arora

Content: https://www.timesnownews.com/education/article/obesity-prevention-among-students-west-bengal-govt-decides-to-introduce-lessons/337021