The schools of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) in the city are going the ‘holistic health’ way, as the comprehensive school health manuals will be taught in the schools from April 1.

The manuals are designed on the guidelines of the CBSE and World Health Organisation and they will be the part of the school curriculum. These manuals will be taught as a part of physical education.

The CBSE is introducing the health manual because the Board wants to do away with the obsolete methods of addressing school health, which has somehow been relegated to sporadic health check-ups or in some cases a few hours of health instructions in the curriculum, believes Ashok Gupta, member of CBSE governing body and principal, India International School (IIS).

The manuals are holistic in their approach as they deal not only with physical health but also mental, social, emotional and spiritual well being of the teachers and students.

He says, the decision was taken four months ago but could not be implemented in the mid-session. Regular health check-ups, periodic track of students’ medical history, round-the-clock facility of doctor and nurses, introduction of health cards and health clubs are some of the important parts of the manuals.

Telling the specialty of the manuals, Gupta, said, “The uniqueness of the manuals lies in their participative and interactive approach.” He adds, it is also recommended that teachers can modify or customize the activities in the manual according to their social, cultural and demographic needs.  To see that the manuals are rightly implemented, the CBSE itself will act as the regulatory body, which will inspect the schools time to time.

The manuals are fully illustrated and activity based, where administering health in schools is explained in clear steps. For example, teachers can get full detail on how to give first aid, if any emergency strikes or what is needed to keep the class atmosphere calm and motivating. Endorsing the concept, Chandra Kala Shastri, a teacher at Saint Edmund’s School, said, “The manuals provide all the tools that a teacher requires to understand the mental and physical health of both themselves and students.”

Stating the importance of manual, Gupta adds, the future of the country is being shaped in the schools and it is imperative that all of us take a proactive role in ensuring that healthy and balanced young minds leave school and forge ahead confidently.