The Royal Health Awareness Society (RHAS), and in cooperation with the Ministry of Education have recently held a two days workshop that targeted the Ministry directorates managers, and the health directorates managers to discuss the implementation process of the Healthy Schools project.

The workshop aimed to evaluate the achievements that have been done so far in the Healthy Schools Project, and sharing all the experiences and offering new ideas to raise the quality of the ongoing work, in addition to highlighting the challenges which are facing the schools and offer some solutions to overcome it.

Mr. Sattam Awad, the Ministry of Education secretary general for directorates’ affairs highlighted the importance of the project which was launched in 2008/2009 and was adopted by the ministry to develop a healthy environment at the schools. He also added that the ministry aims to provide the required health care for every student in the kingdom, in order to enhance the health concepts in the curriculums.

Mrs. Enaam Barrishi , RHAS Director General, said that the Healthy Schools project addresses the whole school community bringing in students, teachers, staff, parents and the surrounding community all under one consensus for health promotion through 10 chapters (Management and leadership, safe school environment, healthy school environment, clean school environment, Health education, community and staff participation, health services, social and psychological support, physical activity, and diet).

It worth mentioning that 66 schools from all directorates, including 40 schools participating in the Madrasati initiative, joined the program in 2008/2009, whereby 32 schools were accredited as Healthy Schools; moreover, 65 schools participated in the program in 2009/2010 Academic year, whereby 49 schools were accredited as healthy schools. 68 schools participated in the program in 2010/2011 Academic year, including 20 schools participating in Madrasati initiative, whereby 48 schools were accredited as healthy schools: 6 schools from the gold level (the schools which participated for three years in a row), and 26 schools from the silver level (the schools which participated for two years in a row), and 16 schools from the bronze schools (the schools which participated for the first year).