APPRAISAL OF THE NATIONAL SCHOOL HEALTH POLICY IMPLEMENTATION FOR HEALTH SECURITY IN OSUN STATE SECONDARY SCHOOLS, NIGERIA

Abstract

Nigeria keyed into the Global School Health Initiative of the World Health Organisation through the enactment and adoption of The National School Health Policy in 2006. The Policy was designed to serve as a blueprint for the implementation and evaluation of School Health Programme, aimed at sustained improvement in the health of school children for the achievement of physical and intellectual potential. School leaders' awareness of the policy is vital for effective implementation and the resultant facilitation of healthy school environment which will lead to the achievement of policy goals. This study examined principals' and teachers' awareness level of the National School Health Policy (NSHP) in Osun State, Nigeria, it investigated the extent to which secondary schools in the study area implemented NHSP and identified challenges to the implementation of N H S P. T h e c h a l l e n g e s t o e f f e c t i v e implementation of the policy were highlighted. Data for the study were gathered using a structured questionnaire and semi-structured interviews with 50 Principals and 100 teachers as participants. The paper recommended among other factors, thorough supervision of policy implementation by Ministries of Education and Health officials, and, inclusion of Health Education as one of the compulsory cross-cutting subjects at the secondary level of education in Nigeria.