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THE HEALTH PROMOTION FUNCTION OF EDUCATION AS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT VECTORS OF LIFELONG EDUCATION
D. D. Sharipova
G. А. Shakhmurova А. D. Sharipov
The article deals with the health promotion challenge at different stages of the lifelong education system through forming health promotion services in educational establishments.
Key words: healthy generation, health promotion trend, education, health promotion environment.
Since the day of declaration of independence of Uzbekistan, the idea of developing a morally and physically healthy generation, and education of a harmoniously and comprehensively developed individual, has been made part of the national policy; the implementation of the system of lifelong education is intended to contribute effectively to achieving this target. The health promotion function of the education process plays an important role in the course of implementation of this system. Based on this, we analyzed the system of lifelong education in the context of development of the health promotion function at the following stages: (a) pre-school education; (b) general secondary education; (c) general vocational professional education; (d) higher education, including training of the teaching staff, their retraining and professional development; (e) subsequent self-education; (f) extra-curriculum education and (g) education of children with special needs.
In accordance with the program of development of the education sector of Uzbekistan through 2017, based on the idea of education as a foundation of future development of the nation, the following phased implementation of its primary purpose is intended, which is represented considering the health promotion function. It is planned to achieve sustainable and active participation of the stakeholders in the educational process. In particular, in the field of pre-school education, children are being well prepared to study at school by means of improving their health and their personal development. At the stage of general secondary education, it is planned to increase the level of general education, including the level of health promotion, to develop independent thinking and to make students acquire the organizational skills in order to successfully continue their education. Students of academic lyceums and professional colleges will be successfully prepared, from the spiritual, physical and psychological point of view, to be in demand on the labor market or to enter a higher educational institution, where the health promotion direction of the educational process plays a particularly important role. Within the system of training, retraining and professional development, teachers will be prepared to make a worthy contribution to the personal training of students, developing their independent thinking and organizational skills to preserve and strengthen their health. At the stage of higher
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education, graduates will be prepared by 2017 as highly skilled professionals with health promotion competencies able to make a worthy contribution to the scientific progress of the country and its economic and cultural development. As for the nonformal, out-of-school education, the necessary conditions will be created to ensure participation of children and young people in activities according to their interests, taking into account the state and effective promotion of their health. The education of children and youth with special needs should focus on ensuring their successful participation in the educational process at all stages of the lifelong education system in accordance with their specific needs and inclinations consistent with the need to preserve and promote their health.
A certain health promotion function of the educational process is also provided for by the state scientific and technical programs of applied research for 2015-2017. In particular, the program “Spiritual, moral and cultural development of the democratic and law-based society, and formation of the innovative economy” provides for solving such tasks as: (a) study of spiritual values, the national idea, cultural heritage, history, and the Uzbek people and statehood in the process of modernization of education (b) study of modern approaches to organization, management, and improvement of the efficiency of education quality, the expansion of continuity and succession of education in the society for all segments of the population; (c) education of the younger generation on the basis of historical, national and universal values and development of the best ways of social adaptation, integration of children and young people into society, study of specific features of formation of the healthy lifestyle and physical development of young people; (d) development of effective mechanisms to ensure the information security of childhood, protect children and young people from the media and other negative phenomena that pose a threat to their health, education and development.
To implement the idea of creation of a physically and spiritually healthy generation, it is necessary to provide for the following: (1) pay particular attention to the problem of preserving the national genetic pool and the revival of the national mentality, notable for its health-oriented feature in its various manifestations at all stages of lifelong education; (2) bring up a physically and mentally healthy generation; (3) bring up a free and independent, strong and honest generation, which ensures its high moral and spiritual health; (4) educate talented, free and sensible young people, also with the help of the health promotion function of lifelong education. The main condition for the fulfillment of the above tasks is implementation of the Concept of education of the morally and physically healthy generation in our country, developed by the President of our Republic I.A. Karimov, which is estimated by the international community as a model for the improvement of the national genetic pool and was a significant event in the life of our state. It is possible to achieve this goal by improving the efficiency of educational institutions.
Nowadays, teaching science has acquired some potential for implementing educational and information technologies in the education system, however, health promotion technologies are the least studied ones, and their implementation will undoubtedly contribute to the preservation and promotion of health as the highest human value, and to the formation of valeological (health promotion) culture. The
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health promotion function of the activity of teachers, regardless of the subject, which they teach, has currently become one of the priorities, along with the implementation of educational, training, and developmental functions associated with the preparation of students for the upcoming social, professional and family life.
Erudition, mastery of speech, and great communication capabilities of teachers will make it possible to successfully meet the challenges imposed by society on the work of a teacher in the course of the education and training processes, including the requirement of having a good level of medical and hygienic knowledge about the preservation and strengthening of health, about creating the health promotion environment, and about use of health promotion technologies, providing for the transfer of knowledge, and development of skills and knowledge in the field of health preservation, so that such knowledge and skills could become a part of everyday life and contribute to students’ spiritual and cultural development.
Today’s educational institution is intended to provide for creative development of the student’s individuality, formation of his/her interest in education, development of intellectual, mental and physical abilities, and social activity of students. The successful solution of these problems is possible only with the creation of a health promotion environment of learning, psychological comfort in the relationship of the teacher and student, and the readiness of a teacher to systematically organize educational work at creating a comprehensive healthy lifestyle.
According to scientific data, the health promotion environment is provided by the availability of conditions for preservation and promotion of students’ health, as well as targeted development of the health culture of all participants of the educational process. It should be borne in mind that the value-based and motivational orientations, as well as knowledge, skills of preservation and promotion of health, and formation of a healthy lifestyle, take the central place in the culture of health. The system of valeological (health promotion) education and training of students includes the following activities: (1) sanitary and hygienic (health preserving); (2) educational and methodological (didactic) associated with the implementation of health promotion technology; (3) health improvement educational work; (4) work with parents. All this generally contributes to an increase of teachers’ professional competence. To implement the first direction, we can define such tasks as developing the teacher’s competence re: creating a health educational environment, provision of physiological and psychological conformity for each student of the educational environment. Educational and methodical direction involves solving the following tasks: (a) formation of an emotionally supportive learning environment; (b) preventing overload of students; (c) creating conditions for developing the function of education; (d) increasing interest in the efficiency of learning itself; (e) introducing health promotion technologies. Health promotion educational work involves development of students’ self-consciousness, as well as their modern world view, aesthetic feelings, interpersonal skills, as well as sex education and development of family values, physical education, combined with the basics of personal and general hygiene, creating ecological and hygienic culture, labor training and professional guidance, and mastering the basics of life safety. Finally, in the course of working
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with parents, it is necessary to carry out the development and implementation of integrated programs of interaction with the family: consultative and diagnostic, methodological, correlation and pedagogical.
Particular attention should be given to individualization and differentiation of education, taking into account the level of development and state of health of students; introduction of health preservation technologies in the process of education and training, new programs and curricula, forms and methods of teaching based on a personality-oriented approach, and interdisciplinary integration of the interactive methods. It is possible to implement the above successfully in the case of strengthening the health promotion preparation of a teacher capable of carrying out health promotion activities in the process of academic and extracurricular work. In our opinion, the health promotion education work of teachers at all stages of the system of lifelong education should include activities aimed at developing students' understanding of the importance of health, and should contribute to their spiritual, moral and cultural development, with the efficient help of health promotion services set up at educational institutions that are involved in valeological, coordination, and health improvement activities.
Translated from Russian by Znanije Central Translastions Bureas
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