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Establishing Networks for Health Promoting Schools in South Africa
Author(s) -
Swart Dehran,
Reddy Priscilla
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of school health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.851
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1746-1561
pISSN - 0022-4391
DOI - 10.1111/j.1746-1561.1999.tb06366.x
Subject(s) - curriculum , economic growth , political science , conceptual framework , health education , health policy , health promotion , social determinants of health , public health , medicine , sociology , nursing , social science , economics
South African schools were segregated by years of discriminatory practices. Apartheid policies adversely affected the health and social status of children in South Africa. The conceptual framework suggested by the health promoting schools movement was adopted in South Africa to address school health comprehensively. This approach provides a useful framework because it focuses not on the curriculum but on the school environment, community involvement, policy development, and appropriate health and social services. Currently, several initiatives in South Africa focus on developing networks of health promoting schools. Initiatives seen as a mechanism to address the historical inequities among children in South Africa are described.