![]() | Feature: Selected Sport and Physical Education Career Opportunities | No.52 January 2008 |
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Introduction
Following the introduction of Universal Basic Education (UBE) by the
present democratic government of Nigeria in 1999, it has become obvious
that the school child should be taught basic health knowledge, attitudes,
health practices and health skills that facilitate adequate, informed
choices in all aspects of life to promote, maintain and develop his
personal health, family health, community health and the health of the
nation. Olusakin (2001) defines Universal Basic Education as “the
base level of education that is designed to satisfy at least the minimum
learning needs of the people in general”. Basic need would refer
to a need whose satisfaction is central to either the existence or satisfaction
of other needs. The scope of the basic education has been highlighted
to include: a basic understating of elementary processes of nature,
as a pre-requisite of hygiene, health precautions, nutrition, agriculture,
livestock-farming and stock piling. It also includes the provision of
practical knowledge and skill to enable the pupil (student) to earn
his own living, keep his family and run a household (Olusakin, 2001).
The UBE declaration in Nigeria is based on the fact that the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights by UNESCO (1964) has made the acquisition
of suitable education a right and not a privilege. In his statement
towards the success of UBE in Nigeria, Olusakin (2001) recommended that
adequate preparations be done in the area of training enough teachers
and school counselors.
However, it is observed that many schools in Nigeria lack adequate
equipment as well as trained and qualified teachers to handle this important
task. It could therefore result in a child completing UBE education
without learning the basic principles, values or lifestyles that would
facilitate him/her promoting and maintaining personal health and that
of their fellow man. Added to this are health needs of the students
not being provided for, to enable adequate concentration during the
learning process.
The effectiveness of education in Nigeria, as in other nations, from
nursery school to university, is largely dependent on the quality of
its teachers (Bucher, 1975; Ajala, 1986, Majasan, 1995, and Ajibola,
1998). A teacher who is to convey health attributes, principles and
values to the school children must themself be health conscious and
possess the personal interest, attributes, values and principles of
promoting and maintaining health so as to do a good job in developing
these characteristics in others.
In working to maintain professional status as teachers, the profession
must think of cooperating with themselves, employers, teacher trainers
and sponsors to put the right calibre of teachers in the classroom to
enhance the prestige of a competent and dedicated national team of educators
for the purpose of nation building. To become a health education teacher
does not only mean to pass through a college of education or university,
but it is to teach effectively and efficiency the health concepts, principles
and knowledge.
The quality of educational institutions is reflected in the quality
of its students. It is therefore of paramount importance to give health
education teachers the appropriate processional preparation to make
them qualified and efficient for their task. This implies that as the
necessary qualities of health education teachers can be learned, then
provision for learning them should be included in the teacher education
curriculum. A good health education teacher is the product of the quality
of education they have received. Potential health teachers must be specifically
prepared for their roles since no qualitative activity is achieved in
a piecemeal way.
Health is a complex and important subject for an average teacher to
handle. Teaching of health requires sensitivity to the very personal
nature of the subject; and the awareness of individual health needs,
interest, beliefs, prejudices, problems of children and youth, the community
and the teachers themselves (Ademuwagun, 1975; Udoh, Fawole, Ajala,
Okafor, Nwana and Obanya, 1987), such knowledge can only come when qualified
teachers in health education are available in schools to handle the
course. Preparing health teachers
The need for qualified health education teachers is a vital part of
the total health/educational workforce of any nation. In preparing the
health education teacher, a certain amount of concentrated training
and specialization in Health Education is necessary (Ogunsakin, 1984).
A majority of teachers in many of the schools, however, are not trained
to give adequate and effective health instructions, hence cannot lead
the students to acquire and internalize socially acceptable healthful
living practices. Consequently, it is only those teachers trained in
health education or combined physical and health education that can
give adequate and effective health instruction. It is noted that such
teachers are few in number among the teaching population in schools,
yet health is an aim of achieving other goals in life such as prevention
of illness and maintaining and promoting health, which is better than
trying to find a cure.
Ademuwagun (1973) opined that the foundation for longer, more productive
years and for lasting happiness in later life is laid during childhood.
Teachers should therefore share in the responsibility of helping, guiding
and directing each child to attain his or her highest potential. By
being in close, daily contact with students in the classroom, every
teacher at the primary school level must see himself or herself as a
health educator. At the same time, every prospective health teacher
must be well groomed to meet the challenges of health teaching in order
to favourably influence health attitudes and behaviour of the learner
to inculcate basic/background health values, principles and health knowledge
as an aspect of the UBE education.
The World Health Organization (1968) realized and declared that school
teachers are considered as health workers; principal collaborators;
since they are to present to the school children the elementary ideas
of hygiene in their early days, hence, the need to provide teachers
with health education. This view is also highlighted in the scope of
Universal Basic Education (Olusakin, 2001).
If teachers are not trained to be specialised health teachers, it is
necessary to give them health education orientation sufficient to make
them more health conscious in their educational activities. To teach
effectively, all classroom teachers in the country should know and understand
health problems arising from both developmental causes and the ecological
relationship of the child and his surroundings (physical and socio-cultural);
therefore the health teacher should be competent in the areas of cognitive,
affective and psychomotor health domains. This will enhance desired
health attitudes and practices.
The dual task of maintaining their own health and to contributing effectively
to the health education of their pupils/students suggest the need for
knowledge in the following areas:
It is observed that many health problems that could have been averted
if students had adequate health knowledge still exist in schools today.
Students have found themselves entangled in such problems due to ignorance.
The National Policy on Education has, as one of its objectives in section
1 paragraph 3(6): promotion of the emotional, physical and psychological
health of all children (FRN, 1981). When there are competent, conscious
teachers to educate, guide and direct children on proper health values,
there will be improved sanitation (personal and environmental); good
nutrition; good psychosocial relationships; more healthy living; lower
or no morbidity hence reduced cost of medical treatments; improved longevity;
more healthier and happier lives and productivity; and development of
the nation. Problems of drug abuse, drug addiction, alcoholism, cigarette
smoking, improper use of contraceptives, indiscriminate indulgence in
sex and its associated problems, problems of cultism, school rioting
and vandalism will become abated, if not totally eliminated. Responsibilities of the Class Teacher
The classroom teacher stays with the child and sees the child throughout
the school day. There is no other person in the school system better
fitted to make significant contribution to the health of the child in
the elementary school than the teacher. They are uniquely disposed to
observe and compare the child’s health daily. They are therefore
vested with the major responsibilities of devising health learning experiences
for the children. The classroom teachers must have a warm personality
and feeling for children, alongside careful use of observation and must
be able to communicate effectively. They must possess great interest
in conservation of health, genuine concern for the good health of others,
a willingness to update professional knowledge and ability to adjust
to positive progressive changes (Ajala, 1986; Balogun, Okon, Musaazi
& Tuakur 1981; and Majasan, 1995). Responsibilities of the Health Educator
The special responsibility of a health educator is to influence behaviour,
strengthen desirable practices and foster the substitution of undesirable
with desirable health behaviours. It would not be correct to say that
all who do some health teaching are regarded or seen as health educators.
The health education teacher is a special person, uniquely prepared
for the task of providing and fostering health education in several
aspects of school life. Some positions involve several different roles
and this is true of the health education teacher. They are expected
to behave in certain patterns associated with their health role. They
are expected to play the role of a subordinate to the Head of School
on health related matters and adviser to colleagues and other school
personnel. Their main role in relation to pupils is education, as they
direct the health education learning process. Their major responsibilities
are to:
With the above responsibilities, they will always be content in seeing
the learner doing what is desirable for the conservation of health.
In such situations, the benefit is two-fold; personal satisfaction to
the health education teacher and personal satisfaction to the learner.
Qualification of Health Education Teachers
A. Personal Qualification
A person desiring to be a health educator must possess a strong interest
in health conservation. They must have a genuine interest in and concern
for the good health of other people, a desire to keep up to date on
professional matters, the willingness and ability to change with progress.
Perhaps more than any other teacher, they must be able to communicate
effectively in a manner that motivates others to action (Ajala, 1986).
The personality attributes required of health education teachers are
the same for any other legal social gathering because the teachers are
group leaders in their respective classrooms. Some such traits are:
initiative; keenness; flexibility; firmness; honesty; respect; judgment;
discipline; sympathy; foresight; courage; creativity; intellectual competence;
good human relations; patience and acting as ‘loco parentis’
in the school. Provision for leaning these personality attributes should
be included in the teacher education curriculum (Bucher, 1975; Majasan,
1995).
B. Health Education Teacher Certification
It is educationally imperative that the health education teacher should
be professionally exposed to the various health needs, interests, beliefs,
prejudices and problems of the pupils and problems common among the
school personnel at every level of the educational system. Their qualification
must back them up in these major areas of operation as a health education
teacher. They should be competent in: health education (health instructions),
school health services, and healthful school living (Bucher, 1975).
The teaching profession in Nigeria must recognise the worth or the
need of the health education teacher and give them an equal opportunity
to learn and become competent in these areas by providing the prospective
health education teacher with selected functional experiences that will
enhance his job. The nature of certification
The certification of health education teachers has, over the years,
been joint certification in physical and health either at teachers’
Grade II Certificate, NCE or at Degree level. Presently, the certification
requirement of health education teachers is undergoing significant change.
Qualification requirements are now certified in the form of course credits
to specific skills, knowledge and other competencies (Bucher, 1975,
Bucher, 1979; Ajibola, 1998). It is gratifying for the Nigeria educational
system to note that several Colleges of Education and Universities with
departments of physical and health education are no longer accepting
joint majors in physical and health education but accept physical education;
and health education as separate major disciplines. With this separation,
one can then say that this type of certificate encourages the teachers
to specialise either in physical education or health education at degree
level while strengthen them in both areas at NCE level. Courses for Certification
The task of influencing behaviour of people toward desirable health
behaviour in all aspects of life boils down to one of applied physiology,
however, the procedure must have their foundation in scientifically
sound health facts. Hence, the health educator’s need for a life
sciences and behavioural sciences background of professional experiences
along with teaching experience (Bucher, 1975).
A program of college studies in preparation for health education teaching
should involve three aspects: general background studies; professional
education and field of specialisation; and teaching practice.
Unless the biological and behavioural sciences are coordinated to include
health education at all levels of education, and those sciences coordinated
by qualified health educators, the achievement of Universal Basic Education
may not become a reality. Olusakin (2001) recommended that adequate
preparation for UBE should be made in the area of training enough teachers
and counselors and these must include training of health education teachers.
Health is important. Provision for good health must be given its basic
foundation right from the pre-primary and primary (elementary) school.
Various governments, authorities, administrators, Head of schools and
principals in their coordination should make health a priority, hence
should give adequate space and time in the time table for health education;
and non qualified teachers should not be allowed to handle the subject.
Another way of preparing teachers to solve the problem of shortage of
health education staff is to encourage and sponsor interested members
of staff for in-service training in health education courses. Conclusion
The task of influencing behaviours of people to desirable health behaviours
needs qualified and dedicated personnel. Teachers should be professionally
qualified so as to protect pupils from poorly prepared and inefficient
health teachings. There is need for specific and systematic preparation
of teachers in health education in the general teacher training program.
These groups of professional teachers will diligently take care of prevailing
health problems in schools; and also inculcate into each child the necessary
basis of health according to the level of education and maturity of
the child. This will enable children to take immediate and later responsibilities
for both personal and community health.
Recommendations
Health education in our schools need immediate and long ranging plans
and attention. Believing that the Government, at various levels, will
receive suggestions for quality health, the following recommendations
are forwarded.
References
Ademuwagun, Z.A. (1973). Preparation of teachers
in health education at the university level in Nigeria. International
Journal of Education, XIV.
Ademuwagun, Z.A. (1975). Preparing the physical and health education
teachers for secondary schools in developing countries. West African
Journal of Education, XIX (1), 118.
Ajaja, J.A. (1986). Teacher preparation in health education. Journal
of School Health Education, 1, 39.
Balogun, A.A., Okon, S.E., Musaazi, C.S. & Thakur, A.S. (1981).
Principle and practice of education. Lagos: Macmillan Nigeria Publisher
Limited.
Bucher, C.A. (1975). Administration of health and physical education
programmes including athletics (6th ed). Saint Louis: The C. V. Mosby
Company.
Bucher, C.A. (1979). Foundations of physical education. (8th ed.) St.
Louis: The C. V. Mosby Company.
Federal Republic of Nigeria (1981). National Policy on Education. (Revised)
Section 1, Paragraph 3 (6).
Majasan, J.A. (1995). The teachers profession. Ibadan: Spectrum Books
Limited.
Moronkola, O.A. (2003). School health programme. Ibadan: Royal People
(Nigeria) Limited.
Ogunsakin, A.E. (1984). Health education knowledge test for Grade II
teachers. Ilorin Journal of Education. 4 (71).
Olusakin, A.M. (2001). School Counselling and Primary School teachers
perception of the essential requirements for successful implementation
of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) Programme. Lagos Journal of Educational
Research, LAJER, 1 (1) 28-41.
Contact
Dr. A. Ajibola Clement
Physical and Health Education Unit University of Calabar Calabar, Nigeria Email: perryeaa@yahoo.com ![]() http://www.icsspe.org/portal/index.php?w=1&z=5 |