학교 현장에서의 보건교육 현황 및 발전 방안

Abstract

Schools play a pivotal role in promoting healthy lifestyles among adolescents, providing a structured environment for both academic learning and health education. With the increasing shift of caregiving responsibilities from families to schools, particularly because of the rise of dual-income households, the demand for comprehensive health education has grown. The COVID-19 pandemic further highlighted the importance of health education, particularly in infection prevention and control. Health education in schools aims to provide students with essential knowledge, nurture healthy attitudes, and cultivate skills necessary for lifelong health behaviors. It also has a broader impact on families and communities, and contribute to reduce health disparities. Despite its importance, health education remains a non-core subject in Korean schools and is often marginalized in the curriculum. Several challenges hinder effective implementation of health education. First, the lack of formal integration into the curriculum, limits its implementation. Second, there is a shortage of school nurses, each of whom is responsible for hundreds of students, making consistent health education a difficult task. Third, health education is often dictated by changing policies and administrative directives, limiting its coherence. To address these challenges health education must be integrated into the formal curriculum, and the role of school nurses must be elevated. Additionally, employing qualified health education professionals and expanding the curriculum to address contemporary issues such as digital ethics and health literacy are also crutial steps. A coordinated policy approach that aligns education and national health strategies is necessary to ensure the effectiveness of health education in schools.