1st HPB-MOE Cherish Award 08 Goh Speech

SPEECH BY
MS GRACE FU, SENIOR MINISTER OF STATE
MINISTRY OF NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
AT THE 2008 CHERISH AWARD CEREMONY
26 JUNE 2008, AT 10.30am
AT NANYANG POLYTECHNIC

Mr Lam Pin Woon
Chief Executive Officer, Health Promotion Board

Ms Ho Peng
Director, Curriculum Planning & Development Division, Ministry of Education

Principals, Vice Principals

Ladies and Gentlemen

Good morning.

Introduction
I am delighted to be at this inaugural Joint HPB-MOE CHERISH Award Ceremony. We are gathered here this morning to acknowledge and commend schools for their Championing Efforts Resulting in School Health (CHERISH). As we prepare our students and staff to thrive in the future, we know that the efforts required in promoting and developing health and cultivating healthy habits cannot be discounted. In fact, it should be given greater importance. I would like to take this moment to commend all schools for putting in much effort for this worthy cause.

1st Joint HPB-MOE CHERISH AWARD
The new joint HPB-MOE CHERISH Award replaces the current CHERISH Award (given by HPB since 2002) and Trim and Fit Award (given by MOE since 1992). The Trim and Fit Programme is replaced by the Holistic Health Framework (HHF) which has been introduced to all schools in 2007. By 2010, all schools would have fully implemented HHF. The distinctiveness of HHF is that it moves beyond physical health to embrace also the social and mental health of students. The Holistic Health Framework takes reference from the Health Promoting School Framework established by the World Health Organisation.

Schools are recognised for their efforts in building a health promoting school in this new joint HPB-MOE CHERISH Award. A health promoting school constantly strengthens its capacity to be a healthy setting for living, learning and working. The alignment of Holistic Health Framework with Health Promoting School Framework ensures that schools receive a consistent message and clear focus in holistic health as advocated by MOE and HPB. This award will be given biennially with effect from 2008 and is included in the Masterplan of Awards as a Level One Award.

For this year, a total of 313 primary, secondary and pre-universities submitted their reports for validation. It gives me great pleasure to announce that 2 schools have been awarded platinum, 30 schools awarded gold and 123 schools awarded silver. I would like to congratulate the staff and students for their commitment and effort in maintaining a high standard of health promotion in their schools.

Partnership with Schools by HPB and MOE
Let me now say a few words about what schools are doing, and HPB s role in this. HPB supports schools in their health promotion efforts through programmes and resources reaching out to the different target audience. These programmes aim to raise awareness and encourage students, staff and parents towards living a healthy lifestyle. Examples of health promotion programmes are cluster-based school events, teachers wellness programmes, parent seminar and targeted or mass-outreach such as skits and competitions for students. Funding through the Youth Advolution for Health programme (YAH) is also made available to secondary schools and JC/CI to help students in carrying out peer-led projects.

HPB has been working well in tandem with schools. Through CHERISH, schools are more aware of the health promoting school framework which looks into holistic health for its different stakeholders, i.e. students, staff and community. Schools have been proactive in integrating different aspects of health within the school s workplan. For example, Princess Elizabeth Primary School and Ang Mo Kio Secondary School have comprehensive strategic action plans that incorporate the different health issues within its curriculum and co-curriculum.

With the joint HPB-MOE CHERISH Award, HPB and MOE are able to leverage on each other s resources and expertise to plan and promote healthy lifestyle to its common target audience, i.e. the schools. The partnership has brought to greater heights the health promotion strategies for the schools stakeholders.

Good Practices by Schools
Good health promotion practice in schools is a continuous and sustainable process aimed at bringing about positive behaviour changes and health outcomes to students and staff. To do that, there will need to be a concerted and strategic health promotion effort by everyone in the school - from students, staff to students parents. Hence, it is pertinent that schools consciously include health promotion in their strategic planning. Ultimately, we hope to see students and staff take ownership of their own health. This will be evident when they start adopting health promoting practices and habits through engagement in meaningful and sustainable health-related activities all year round.

Let me site some examples. Loyang Primary School has assembled a Health Promotion Committee comprising school leaders and teachers to chart the direction for Health Promotion. The committee has creatively used an apple as a metaphor for health and images of apples around the school served as a visual reminder for students and staff to stay healthy. As the saying goes, an apple a day keeps the doctor away indeed.

For Balestier Hill Secondary School, the school taps on their students to help one another. In this instance, the Secondary Three Food and Nutrition students serve as Health Ambassadors to guide, motivate and encourage their peers to eat balance meals and exercise regularly. By helping their peers, these Health Ambassadors had put into practice the knowledge they have acquired in their Food and Nutrition lessons. This epitomized a win-win situation.

In Anderson Junior College, health promotion is well-assimilated into the college s vision and mission. The college environment encourages both staff and students to develop and lead a healthy lifestyle socially, emotionally and physically. For example, the staff welfare committee has a structured plan for promoting health to the staff. Initiatives like blocked time for use of gymnasium, yoga sessions, talks and workshops have given opportunities to the staff to engage in health related activities.

Conclusion
The commendable efforts of our schools to promote health and build healthy lifestyles augur well for our nation. Thank you very much for contributing to the well-being of generations of students and our future citizens. I am confident that you will learn from each other, and help our students and staff develop healthy habits and fitness for life. May I wish all schools the best in your health promotion journey and heartiest congratulations to the winning schools.

Thank you.