29 May 2006

JOINT MEDIA RELEASE: Synergy of Health and Education for Holistic Health Promotion in Schools Joint HPB-MOE CHERISH Award 2008

1. The Health Promotion Board (HPB) and the Ministry of Education (MOE) will be announcing a joint CHERISH Award from 2008 to recognise schools that strive towards an integrative and holistic approach for the improvement of the health of students, staff and the community at the CHERISH Award 2006 Presentation Ceremony today.

CHERISH Award Presentation Ceremony 2006

2. The CHERISH (CHampioning Efforts Resulting in Improved School Health) Award recognises schools with comprehensive health promotion programmes for staff and students in line with the World Health Organisation’s Health Promoting School (HPS) initiative. The World Health Organisation defines a Health Promoting School as one which strives to improve the health of school personnel, families, community members as well as students, and works with community leaders to help them understand how the community contributes to health and education. All primary and secondary schools, junior colleges and centralised institutes can apply for the Award. There are four award categories: Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze. Details of the current CHERISH Award are at Annex A.
3. The current CHERISH Award has seen an almost three-fold increase in participation from 84 schools in 2001 to over 270 schools in 2005. With 29 schools receiving the Gold Award for the very first time this year, this reflects the increase in commitment and quality of school health promotion programmes.
4. The Guest-of-Honour Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister of State for Education and Manpower, will be announcing the new developments of the joint CHERISH Award between HPB and MOE at the CHERISH Award Presentation Ceremony.

Joint HPB-MOE CHERISH Award 2008

5. It is well-recognised that health is a major factor affecting the young's capacity to learn, and education in turn can influence one's health. This joint CHERISH Award marks the strategic integration of health and education which will encourage even more schools to embed health within their ethos, mission and vision.
6. The HPB-MOE CHERISH Award will be a biennial award from 2008 which will assess schools’ health promotion and education efforts. It aims to recognise the efforts of schools in encouraging sustainable and comprehensive health promotion programmes for students, staff and the community. Details of the HPB-MOE CHERISH Award are at Annex B. The Award is also included in MOE’s Masterplan of Awards¹ where schools receiving the Silver & Gold Awards will be conferred with Level 1 awards, and schools receiving the Platinum Award will be conferred with Level 2 awards.

Holistic Health Framework

7. Schools have done well in managing the fitness levels of students through the years. Moving forward, MOE is focusing on the total well-being of students, building intrinsic motivation in students to look after their own health and facilitating resource provisions to support schools in their health promotion efforts. In line with this focus, MOE will be introducing the Holistic Health Framework (HHF) for schools in 2007. This framework is guided by the following three key principles:

   1. Total Well-Being

      Total well-being encompasses the physical, mental and social health of students and not just measures of weight and fitness.

   2. Inclusion

      Inclusion advocates that every student be given opportunities to access the knowledge, and develop the skills and attitudes to live healthily.

   3. Quality Delivery

      Quality delivery involves building the capacity of teachers through professional development and engaging qualified and competent para-educators to teach holistic health effectively.

8. Schools adopting the HHF are distinguished by the following key components:

   1. Supportive School Culture and Organisation

      A supportive school culture and organisation is demonstrated by having a shared vision on health which culminates in an action plan for effective delivery and resource building.

   2. Comprehensive and Relevant Formal and Non-Formal Curricula

      A comprehensive and relevant formal and non-formal curricula is the main vehicle in the delivery of holistic health.

   3. Synergistic Collaborations and Partnerships

      Synergistic collaborations and partnerships with stakeholders supporting schools’ health promoting efforts through the sharing of expertise and resources.

9. With the introduction of the Holistic Health Framework, schools will be recognised for their efforts in building a health promoting school with the HPB-MOE CHERISH Award.