Health drive for public elementary schools

The Department of Education recently announced that it is set to embark on a National Schools Health Maintenance Drive in elementary schools to promote good health and nutrition among children for them to fully participate in education and gain its maximum benefits.

The three-month long drive, with the theme "Better Health for Improved Learning," is aimed at establishing data on the health and nutritional status of school children to serve as bases for the planning of the school feeding and other health programs.

The drive was also meant to mobilize health service providers for examination of pre-schoolers and Grades I to III pupils, in public schools nationwide, while encouraging participation of their parents in keeping them in good health.

This month, all school health and nutrition personnel will be mobilized to start the health check-ups and vision screening among Grade I entrants, as part of the school readiness assessment test among pupils.

In Cebu today, medical volunteers will be deployed in public schools to conduct medical and dental check-ups of pupils.

And beginning this week until July 31, a universal medical check-up for pre-schoolers in DepEd-supervised pre-schools and Grades I to III pupils will also be undertaken. - Jasmin R. Uy