school health services

Specific objective
At the end of lecture student are able to-
• To define the school health services
• To know the historical development of school health
services
• List out the objective of school health services
• Discuss the principles of school health services
• Enumerate the problems of school going children's
• Explain the components of school health services
• Describe the School health team
• List out the role of community health nurse in school
health services.
 DEFINITION

SCHOOL:- school is defined as an educational institution where

group of pupils pursue defined studies at defined levels, receive
instruction from one or more teachers, frequently interact with
other officers and employee such as principal, various
supervisors/ instructor, maintenance staff etc., usually housed in
a single building.
School health:-School health refer to a state of complete, physical,
mental, social and service well being and not merely the absent
of disease or infirmity among pupils, teachers and other school
personals.
 School health services

Ideally School health services refer to need based

comprehensive services rendered to pupil, teacher and other
personnel in the school to promote and protect there health,

prevent and control diseases and maintain there health.

 Objectives of school health services

• The promotion of positive health.

• The prevention of disease.

• Early diagnosis, treatment and follow up of defect.

• Awaking health consciousness in children.

• The provision of healthful environment

 principal of school health servisces

• Be based on health needs of school children.

• Be part of community health services.
• Emphasis on promotive and preventive aspects.
• Emphasis on health education to promote protects,
improve and maintain health of children and staff.
• Have an effective system of record keeping and reporting.

• Be planned in coordination with school, health personnel,

parents and community pupils.
• Emphasis on learning through active and desirable
participation.
• Be on going and continuous programme.
Health problem of the school child

1. Health problems

2. Behavioral problems
• Health problems:-
• Malnutrition
• Infectious diseases

• Intestinal parasites
• Diseases of skin eye and ear
• Dental caries.
• Behavior problem:-
• Antisocial problem: - stealing, lying, gambling, destructiveness,
sexual offence.
• Habit disorders: - nail biting, thumb sucking, bed wetting.

• Personality disorders: - temper tantrum, shyness, day dreaming,

and jealousy.
• Educational difficulties: - backwardness in study, school fear,
school failure, etc.
 COMPONENTS OF SCHOOL
HEALTH SERVICES
• Health Promotive and Protective services
• Therapeutic Services
• Rehabilitative Services

• School Health Records

• Health Promotive and Protective services: ---
• Wholesome school environment
• Maintenance of personal hygiene

• Nutritional services
• Physical & recreational activities
• Promotion of Mental health
• Health Education

• Immunization
• Therapeutic Services:--
• Health appraisal
• Treatment and follow up

• First aid and emergency care

• Specialized health services
• Rehabilitative Services:--
• Care of the handicapped
• IV) School Health Records
 HEALTH PROMOTIVE AND
PROTECTIVE SERVICES
• Location: - The school should normally be centrally situated with
proper approach roads and at a fair distance from busy places and
roads, cinema houses, factories, railway tracks and market places.
• Site:-the site should be on suitable high land and not subject to
inundation or dampness and can be properly drained. The school
health committee (1961) recommends that 10 acres of land be
provided for higher elementary schools and per 100 students
• Structure: - nursery and secondary schools as far as possible be
single storied Exterior walls should have minimum thickness of 10
inches and should be heat resistant. Fire and rat proof.
• Class room: - verandahs should be attached to class rooms. No
classroom should be accommodating more than 40 students. Per
capita space for students in a classroom should not be less than 10
sq.ft.
• Furniture: - furniture should suit the age group of the student. It is
desirable to provide single desks and chairs. Chairs should be
provided with proper back rest, with facilities for desk work.
Suitably suspended writing board, - Height & slope of desks (15
degree angle), Size of seats in relation to students age & built,
• Doors and windows: - the windows should be broad with the
bottom sill at a height of 2’-6 from the floor level .combined door
and window area should be at least 25 percent of the floor space
windows should be placed on different walls for cross ventilation the
ventilators should not be less than 2 percent of the floor area.
• Color: - inside color of the classroom should be white and should be
periodically white washed.
• Lighting: - classroom should have sufficient natural light, preferably
from left, and should not be from the front.
• Water supply: - there should an adequate and independent source of
safe and potable water supply which should be continuous
• Eating facilities: - Vendors should not be allowed inside
school premises and there should be separate room
provided for mid-day meals.
• Lavatory:-privies and urinals should be provided –one
urinal for 60 students and one latrine for 100 students it
should be separate for boys and girls
 THERAPEUTIC SERVICES:-
Health appraisal:- Regular periodical appraisal of health of school
children is very necessary to identify the deviation from conditions
of body parts and system. It requires complete physical and medical
checkups.
• A minimum of three health appraisal are carried out:-
• On school entry at the age of 5-6 years
• On passing out from primary school at the age of 10-11 years

• On passing out from middle school at the age 13-14 years.

REHABILITATIVE SERVICES: -
• Rehabilitative services are required for those children who are born
with or and acquire any disability or handicap due to road accident,
infection, some serious disease, burn injury etc. these children
required special care.
• SCHOOL RECORDS:-
• Record keeping and the storage of information are important
functions of both the administration and teaching staff of a school.
• It is essential to maintain complete, accurate and continuous health
records of school children. Such health records will be useful for

providing need based health care and guidance to children.

 SCHOOL HEALTH TEAM:-

• The school principal

• The school teacher
• The parents

• The community
• The children
• The medical officer
• The school health nurse/community health nurse
Role of community health nurse in school
health services
• Identification of schools available in area
• Preparation of tentative plan
• Submission of plan of action
• Ensure supplies of vaccine and drugs
• Prior permission from CEO/HM

• Implementation as per plan of action with team

• Screening of children
• Treatment of minor ailment
• Immunization and health education

• Supervision of mid day meals

• Referral services and follow up
• Formation of health committee

• Recording and submission of school health report

 Referances

1. Gulani K. K., community health nursing,

principles and practice, first edition 2005.
2. Kasturi Rao, An introduction to community health
nursing, first edition.
3. Park K., text book of preventive and social
medicine, 19th edition.
Thank you