Schools failing to teach healthy living

DESPITE having physical education (PE) and extra-curricular activities (ECA), schools are still not doing enough to promote healthy living among the students, according to a health education officer from the Health Promotion Centre. Pengiran Anuar Husain Pengiran Hj Rambli said that a "Knowledge, Attitude and Practice" survey which they carried out and concluded earlier this year, showed that all students knew the importance of healthy living but lacked the motivation to follow through.

"They know what is good for them but unfortunately they are not doing anything," he told The Brunei Times on the sidelines of the "Health Promotion Centre's Youth Camp" project that is currently ongoing.

"The schools are also not doing as much as we want them to," added the health education officer who related this to the significance of organising such youth camps, held with the main objective of persuading the participants to set up their own healthy lifestyle clubs at their schools.

"What we expect from these clubs is the creation of a list of healthy lifestyle activities to be carried out by them and their peers throughout the year," Pengiran Anuar Husain said.

"Hopefully with this club and initiative, they can change their and others' attitude and promote healthy living through fun activities."

He stated that the youth camp would also teach the participants on how to advertise and promote their clubs to other schools, in the hopes that it would pique interest and lead to the formation of similar clubs.

However only one out of eight schools from the previous camp managed to set up their club as the other participants lacked support from their principals, he said.

"Next year, we will gather all the previous participants and hold a workshop on how to convince stakeholders to allow them to make the club," he added. With this in mind, the health education officer said that the Health Promotion Centre is also currently in talks with the Ministry of Education to create an environment that is conducive to healthy practices.

"We sat down with them last month to try to figure out how we can incorporate aspects of healthy living in not only their syllabus but also their activities," he said.

Launched on December 12, the five-day youth camp hopes to incorporate the knowledge to allow the Sultanate's youth to practice healthy living through a series of activities and games, such as treasure hunts and stage plays that involved teamwork, visits, in addition to character building talks by invited speakers.

Although the project is only open to students aged between 11 to 17, Pengiran Anuar Husain said that because of the overwhelming response of their fan base, they are also open to school leavers and other interested youths.

The Brunei Times