CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Hydeno (1992) opened that institution of learning are regarded as factories that manufacture ideas for the present and future use of an individual who might be fortunate enough to have found himself in any of the institution of learning.
Agencies have found it very ideal to inculcate into student the various facets of health. According to World Health Organization (WHO), “Health is three integral parts. They can be defined separately. However, it should not be inferred that health is visible. Each of these parts, together with the spiritual well being, is closely related to an independents on the others for its proper functioning. If one part is altered here is immediate reaction in the other parts” (Hydeno 1992). He stated that the health agencies in institution of learning have helped each individual to know the state of his or her health through the school, the teacher, home and community.
1.2 THE ROLE OF THE SCHOOL
He classified that the school has been made to imbibe and inculcate into its students those learning experiences in health. To teach the variety of experience for purpose of improving attitudes, knowledge and practices relating to health. To teach the students the importance of health and to all intelligently in conformity with its awareness.
The school has been made to realize that the school age is the crucial and formative age of the child, an age when it is easier to cultivate habits than when older, realizing too the magnitude of the effect of poor health on the pupils learning output, and realizing more over that the child tends to spend more of his life in the school, it therefore becomes imperatives that both the school and the teacher must accept fully the responsibility for the health of the pupils placed under them.
Udoh (1991) contended that the health agency in institution of learning includes the school officer and his assigned main duties are:
1. He is charge with the responsibility of developing and supervising the total school health programme.
2. He co-ordinates the school healthy programme with other health agencies in the community including family doctors, and local medical society.
3. Interprets to teachers the result of student’s, medical, dental, or psychological tests.
4. He ensures that students needing medical attention in schools where there are no school doctors are refereed to doctors in general hospital.
5. He ascertains that student recommended for special programmes, especially those placed on restricted activities in physical education are given adequate attention and their programme implemented as prescribed by either a family or school doctor.
6. He checks students returning to school after illness or injury and determines that students participating in extra-curricular activities can do so without damage to their health.
7. He sources publicity for the school health programme and sees that all staff member are award of the services available to them.
8. The checking of the sanitary environment of the school is his responsibility.
9. He arrange in-service course, workshop and seminars for teacher especially the auxiliary health instructors. He stated further that the composition of the school health team and their main duties are as follow.
The success of school health agencies depends upon the efficiency of the school health teams. The school administration is responsibility for finding the programme and recruiting qualified personnel for the programmes. The health committee gives guidance and leadership to the health education programme within the school and cooperates with the community health council through duly – appointed representative.