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UP becomes first state to introduce health book at primary level
Uttar Pradesh has become the first state in the country to introduce a book on health and hygiene at the government primary and junior high school level.
Uttar Pradesh has become the first state in the country to introduce a book on health and hygiene at the government primary and junior high school level. The students will be appointed ambassadors of health and hygiene to promote good health not only in their schools and homes but also in the locality where they live.
In this context, chief minister Akhilesh Yadav released a revised edition of the book-Hum aur Hamara Swasthya-penned by Dr Gourdas Choudhuri at his official residence on Sunday.
Addressing the gathering, Yadav said students of government primary and junior high school level would be taught lessons on health and hygiene issues now.
He had earlier released the first edition of this book in July 2012 that was introduced in secondary schools. Now this revised edition book will be taught in junior classes.
“They say prevention is better than cure. It is with this aim that the state government decided to teach students a few important lessons on health and hygiene at primary and junior high school,” Yadav said.
However, the students will not have to appear in any examination on the topic. The 96-page book is in Hindi so that the maximum students may benefit from it.
Volunteers of HOPE Initiative have worked hard in bringing out this book. The chapters had beautiful illustrations that were self-explanatory, said Dr Gourdas Choudhuri while talking to HT.
The book has chapters on cleanliness and health, nutrition, hepatitis awareness and prevention, malaria, global warming, road safety, how to beat exam stress, ragging and bullying amongst children in school, alcohol, tobacco, drugs, festivals and health.
A number of students from different government schools were invited on the occasion. For Mahima Yadav of Shahmeena Hussainabad Girls’ Inter College, it was her second visit to the CM’s residence. “I was here on January 12 on the occasion of the National Youth Day when the CM gave me a laptop. It is a reader-friendly book and the students will be benefited from it,” she said.
It was felt that health issues should be a part of the school curriculum and that there should be a text book on health which could be handed out to students of middle school, guiding them through the path of health and hygiene and thus ‘Hum Aur Hamara Swasthya’ came into being, said Dr Choudhury.
Several ministers, bureaucrats and education department officials were present on the occasion. Senior journalist Naveen Joshi, entrepreneur Kiron Chopra, Ramakrishna Math (Lucknow) president Swami Mukhtinathananda and several other distinguished personalities also graced the occasion.
