2015年-世界发展银行全球_Nigeria_School_Health___SABER_Country_Report_2015_21页_487kb

Summary of Nigeria's School Health Policies and Status

Core Content

This document presents a SABER Country Report on school health in Nigeria, highlighting the country's policy goals, current status, and challenges in ensuring a healthy and supportive educational environment for children. The report is part of the World Bank's Systems Approach for Better Education Results (SABER) initiative, which aims to improve education systems through evidence-based policy analysis.

Main Policy Goals and Status

1. Health-Related School Policies

• Status: Established
• Key Points:
  • School health is included in the National Economic and Empowerment Strategy (NEEDS).
  • A national budget for school health exists in both the health and education sectors.
  • A situation analysis has been conducted, identifying health and nutrition problems, school participation rates, and gaps in existing services.
  • A monitoring and evaluation (M&E) plan for school health is integrated into the national monitoring system.
  • A national school health policy was published in 2006 and updated in 2004.
  • The policy emphasizes a multisectoral approach, involving the Ministries of Health, Education, Environment, and others.
  • A multisectoral steering committee coordinates the implementation of the national school health policy.
  • The gender dimension of health is addressed in the national education policy, with M&E mechanisms in place.

2. Safe, Supportive School Environments

• Status: Emerging
• Key Points:
  • The need for safe water and sanitation is recognized, but national coverage remains low.
  • Only 42% of schools have access to safe potable water, and 38% have adequate sanitation facilities.
  • There are mechanisms in place to respond to institutional violence in schools.
  • Psychosocial environments are important for student wellbeing and learning, but implementation remains limited.
  • National guidelines exist for hand-washing stations and infrastructure safety, but only newly built or renovated schools meet these standards.

3. School-Based Health and Nutrition Services

• Status: Emerging
• Key Points:
  • A situation analysis identified the need for school-based screening and referral to remedial services.
  • However, the government has not taken significant action to address this need.
  • Health and nutrition interventions such as deworming, malaria prevention, and iron deficiency control are not widely implemented in schools.
  • School feeding programs have been discontinued in many states, leading to reduced student enrollment.
  • There is a lack of comprehensive health services in schools, despite the potential for cost-effective delivery.

4. Skills-Based Health Education

• Status: Established
• Key Points:
  • Nigeria's school health curriculum is fully developed and taught in all schools.
  • Participatory approaches are integrated into the curriculum, but their effectiveness is limited.
  • Skills-based health education focuses on developing knowledge, attitudes, and values that influence long-term health behaviors.
  • The curriculum includes topics such as HIV, emphasizing the importance of life skills and psychosocial support for students.

Key Findings and Challenges

• Health and Education Link: The link between health and academic achievement is recognized, with a focus on improving education outcomes through health interventions.
• Poverty and Health: Poverty significantly hinders health improvements, with 7.3% of the population undernourished in 2012. Malnutrition is particularly prevalent among children.
• Education System Overview:
  • Nigeria has a 6-3-3-4 education system, with varying levels of access and quality.
  • The gross primary enrolment rate has declined from 102% in 2006 to 85% in 2010.
  • Learning outcomes are poor, especially in the north, with many students unable to read or do basic math by the end of primary school.
  • Teacher qualifications and school management are inadequate, leading to low educational quality.
• School Health Funding:
  • Education funding comes from federal, state, and local governments, as well as private and international sources.
  • The majority of public education expenditure is allocated to salaries, with limited resources for instructional materials and infrastructure.
• School Health Interventions:
  • School health programs are seen as cost-effective and beneficial for vulnerable children.
  • Interventions such as deworming, feeding, and malaria prevention can improve attendance and learning.
  • School-based health services are underdeveloped, despite their potential to address key health issues among children.

Policy Tools and Assessment

• SABER Tools:
  • The SABER-School Health Questionnaire is used to collect systematic and verifiable data on school health policies.
  • Two analysis tools are employed: a scoring rubric and a framework rubric based on the four policy goals.
  • The four policy goals are: health-related policies, safe and supportive environments, school-based health and nutrition services, and skills-based health education.
• Policy Development Stages:
  • Policies are categorized into latent, emerging, established, and advanced stages.
  • Nigeria's school health policies are categorized as "established" or "advanced" in several areas, indicating progress but also highlighting gaps.

Conclusion

Nigeria has made progress in developing school health policies, particularly in the areas of national strategy integration, multisectoral collaboration, and curriculum development. However, challenges remain in ensuring safe and supportive environments, delivering school-based health services, and addressing the financial and administrative constraints that hinder effective implementation. Continued investment, policy alignment with evidence-based practices, and improved coordination between stakeholders are essential for advancing school health in Nigeria.