The National Health Education Group is an organisation for professionals involved in the personal, social and health education of children and young people in formal and informal educational settings.
Background Information: Secretary of State for Education: ‘Preparing Young People for Adult Life’, May 1999
“Education is about the wider personal and social development of young people as they grow up and prepare for adulthood. Good PSHE in schools supports parents in helping their children to develop the ability and skills to make informed, healthy and responsible decisions about their lives.”
The National Health Education Group was founded in 1986 and comprises of 9 regional groups who elect representatives to the Regional Representatives National Group. The NHEG meets regularly with, and has representation on, a wide variety of national organisations including DfEE, Drug Education Forum, Sex Education Forum and PSHE Advisory Group.
The National Health Education Group believes that:
- Effective Personal, Social and Health Education equips young people with the knowledge, skills and understanding to make informed choices about their lives.
- It enables young people to build their self-esteem and thus contributes to their academic and social achievements.
- Drug Education delivered within the context of PSHE provides young people with the knowledge and understanding about legal and illegal drugs and provides them with opportunities to explore their personal values and practice their skills.
- Sex and Relationships Education provides accurate information on sex, contraception and sexuality and explores values and moral issues.
- The development of communication and decision-making skills are of paramount importance.
- Citizenship Education challenges young people to explore their responsibilities as well as their rights and provides a framework for the development of their involvement in democracy – in and out of school
- National Healthy School Standard provides a framework for the delivery of the PSHE curriculum and of whole school issues relating to health which together contribute to raising standards of teaching and learning and, hence, achievement.
- Youth Services, through their curriculum, deliver education within both formal and informal settings particularly to young people who are ‘disaffected’. They have a unique and significant contribution to make to the personal and social development of young people.
- Whole school staff training should be undertaken continually in order for staff to build the confidence and competence necessary to meet new challenges and opportunities.
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