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UNESCO and Peking University Host Capacity Building Workshop on Health Education for Teachers in Beijing
In a significant move to bolster health education for teachers, UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia, in collaboration with the UNESCO Chair on Global Health and Education (Peking University), convened the Capacity Building Workshop on Health Education for Teachers on the 16 December 2024 at Peking University. The event, hosted by the Institute of Child and Adolescent Health of Peking University, and supported by the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO and the Department of Physical Education, Health, and Arts of the Ministry of Education of China, brought together a total of 109 education officials, experts and teachers, and was live-streamed online, attracting approximately 43,000 viewers.
The opening ceremony was commenced by the guests of honor, including Prof. Shahbaz Khan, Director of UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia, Ms. Ge Siying, Deputy Secretary-General of the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO, Mr. Fan Zemin, Deputy Director of Health Division of the Department of Physical, Health and Arts Education of Ministry of Education, and Prof. Qiao Jie, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Executive Vice President of Peking University, who delivered speeches emphasizing the need to explore new strategies for enhancing school health governance and perfecting school health education curriculum construction. They also shared the latest research results and practical experiences to guide the construction of healthy schools across the country.
Prof. Shahbaz Khan highlighted the importance of health education as a fundamental component of inclusive and transformational education. He emphasized the need to consider the long-term health challenges faced by children and adolescents while designing curricula that align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030, particularly SDGs 3 and 4.
Ms. GE Siying emphasized that helping students grow in a safe school environment and fostering healthy living habits and skills is fundamental to developing equitable and high-quality education. She mentioned China's high regard for the healthy growth of adolescents and its active participation in international cooperation on health education.
Mr. FAN Zemin introduced the national school health work from three aspects: "overall planning," "implementation and promotion," and "future strategy," noting that school health education work has both "educational attributes" and "health attributes," with the educational aspect taking precedence. He discussed the significant achievements in key areas such as myopia prevention and control, mental health education, food safety management, disease prevention and first aid education, and outlined future strategies.
Prof. Qiao Jie emphasized the direct impact of children and adolescents' health levels on their quality of life as adults. She pointed out new characteristics in the health status of Chinese children and adolescents, such as rapid growth in height development globally, but also a high rate of myopia, obesity, malnutrition, and emerging psychological and spinal health issues.
In the keynote presentation session, Ms. Zhao Tianzhou from UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia introduced the UNESCO global health and well-being education strategy and the importance of supportive policies and teachers’ capacity enhancement for health and well-being in education, emphasizing a comprehensive approach to achieving health-related Sustainable Development Goals through education. Dr. Song Yi, Director of Institute of Child and Adolescent Health of Peking University delivered a report titled "Matching Actions with Needs: A Study of Strategies to Respond to Changes in the Health of Children and Adolescents in China". The presentation provided an in-depth analysis of the current health status and challenges faced by children and adolescents in China and proposed a series of strategy recommendations tailored to the national context of China. Prof. Ma Yinghua, the holder of the UNESCO Chair on Global Health and Education at Peking University, dissected the "China Scheme within the Framework of Health Promoting Schools (HPS) Global Standards." In the presentation, Prof. Ma detailed the HPS global standards framework, the background, and objectives of China's health school construction, and proposed a health school construction plan with Chinese characteristics, taking into account the actual situation in China.
The seminar included three thematic discussions. The first, moderated by Prof. Hu Yifei from Capital Medical University, focused on school health governance and health education curriculum. The second, led by Professor Song Suli from the Communication University of China, discussed enhancing the educational system to provide social-emotional support. The third, hosted by Prof He Zhonghui from the Department of Physical Education and Research of Peking University, explored mobilizing various resources and promoting intersectoral cooperation.
The closing ceremony was moderated by Dr. Dong Bin, Deputy Director of Institute of Child and Adolescent Health of Peking University, who summarized the workshop's outcomes. Prof. Ma Yinghua, the UNESCO Chair on Global Health and Education at Peking University, underscored the role of schools in providing health education and the importance of comprehensively promoting students’ physical and mental health.
The success of the workshop built a platform for exchange and cooperation in the field of school health education for experts, scholars, and educators, injecting new vitality and momentum into the development of school health education in China. It represented a critical step towards integrating health education in school teaching, curriculum and educational activities. It is of significance for promoting the capacity enhancement of school health education and improving the health literacy of children and adolescents at national level, thus advancing the global health and education agenda by 2030.
