Queen Rania awards schools with healthy accreditation certificate

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Amman -- In a ceremony held at the Ein Jalout Secondary School for Girls, Her Majesty Queen Rania, on Tuesday, awarded 32 schools certificates in recognition of their efforts to develop a healthy environment, in accordance with the Healthy Schools Certification program implemented by the Royal Health Awareness Society (RHAS).

RHAS's "Healthy Schools" initiative promotes healthy lifestyles on schools' campuses in line with the National School Health Standards (NSHS) approved by the Ministries of Education and Health, the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and the Communication Partnership for Family Health.

During the ceremony, which opened with remarks by RHAS Director General Enaam Barishi, Queen Rania also honored eight committee members for conducting comprehensive assessments on the schools.

"A year into implementation of this groundbreaking program, we had several observations on the ground that require consideration, namely, that each school needs a different kind of support, and that we must tailor the program according to those needs, especially in poorer areas to raise awareness on health and empower them to achieve sustainable change," said Barishi.

The standards developed by the specialized committee include criteria for leadership and management, health awareness and nutrition, as well as the provision of health services like counseling and psychological support.

Also included are stringent safety guidelines such as fire safety, and safe access in and out of the school.

Restrooms, water fountains, shaded recreational areas and a canteen providing nutritional snacks for children are key if a school is to meet RHAS' requirements, as are first aid sessions, vaccinations and physical education classes.

Prior to the award ceremony, Queen Rania was accompanied by the Minister of Education and Higher Education, Walid Al Maani, Minister of Health Nayef Al Fayez, RHAS Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees Rami Farraj and the school principal in a tour of the school.

Following a briefing from, RHAS Projects Director Hana Banat, Queen Rania passed by the school's health centre and chemistry lab, checking on health and safety procedures implemented by the school.

Her Majesty also briefly attended a lecture on nutrition in which parents, students and health teachers took part.

RHAS's Healthy School project is implemented in Jordanian Schools in partnership with the Ministry of Education and The Ministry of Health.

Out of 26 schools nominated last year by the Ministry of Education, 16 of them received gold level accreditation while 4 received the silver accreditation, having scored 85% or above in at least three-five of the standardized focus areas.

The Healthy Schools program also accredited ten Madrasati schools across the Kingdom, and qualified several others as 'Health Competent" Schools as a result of them promoting health activities.

Also at the ceremony, RHAS launched the "Health Competent" school program which seeks to incorporate health into every aspect of the school environment.

By developing a health activity kit for students, the program will target pupils, teachers, parents, and the surrounding community in an endeavor to raise awareness around health and safety issues.

The health kit will be tailored for students of different age groups and will include information and guides on six different health topics.

In collaboration with the Health Communication Partnership Program, the Health Competent School Program will be implemented by the John Hopkins University and funded by USAID.

© Jordan News Agency - Petra 2009