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CENTRAL BOARD OF SECONDARY EDUCATION2, COMMUNITY CENTRE, PREET VIHAR, DELHI-110092.Appendix-1ACAD/EO/2006 Dated : 31.5.2006Circular No. 09All the Heads of the institutionsaffiliated to CBSE.Subject: Comprehensive School Health Programme and Creating Health Club in the school.Dear Principal,Childhood and adolescence form the most joyful period of an individual’s life. They are times ofimmense creative energy, self-discovery and exploration of the world. They can also be fraught withfeelings of isolation, loneliness and confusion. They can be due to various factors relating to thephysical, social, emotional, mental and spiritual well being of the younger generation. Schools,families and communities need to play a positive and responsible role in bringing up young children ina healthy environment which would enable each one to maximize their potential.Schools can provide dynamic settings for promoting health, for enabling children to grow and matureinto healthy adults. Yet the potential of the school to enhance health is often underutilized. ‘SchoolHealth’ has largely remained confined to medical check-ups of children or some hours of healthinstruction in the curriculum. There is a growing recognition that the health and psycho-social wellbeingof children and youth is of fundamental value and the schools can provide a strategic means ofimproving children’s health, self-esteem, life skills and behaviour. Although schools have undertakenmany initiatives in promoting school health, the comprehensiveness and sustainability in these initiativesis not clearly laid out. The need of the hour is a comprehensive school health policy integratedwithin the school system.The Central Board of Secondary Education suggests that schools plan out a Comprehensive SchoolHealth Programme which could be initiated through HEALTH CLUB in each school to begin with.Need For Creating Health Clubs in SchoolsHealthy living incase of school children is the prime concern of all stakeholders including principals,parents, teachers and the community. To achieve this objective collective responsibility needs to beassumed. An important dimension is that of experience and development of health skills and physiquethrough practical engagements with play, exercises, sports and practices of personal and communityhygiene.Health and Wellness Clubs in Schools would focus on the overall well being comprising emotional, socialand mental health of the child. It would act as the enabling and organizational point for conductingactivities related to various dimensions of health and wellness. A Health Card needs to be created forstudents which would form a continuous part of their growth and development. This could form aneffective monitoring and feedback system for the overall health of a child during his schooling.…………………/-- 2 -105