Students Noortje and Anne-Britt from the fifth year of pre-university education, together with the director of education and the Healthy School coordinator, led the tour. At various locations in the school, staff and students shared their experiences of how the school works on students’ health and health literacy. Topics included the healthy cafeteria, the care structure, efforts promoting diversity and combating discrimination, nudging towards a healthy lifestyle, and the many sports activities at the school. CLV decided to become a Healthy School as early as 2013, was named the Sportiest School in the Netherlands in 2018, and has obtained the Nutrition and Well-being theme certificates from Healthy School.
In its DNA
“Christelijk Lyceum Veenendaal demonstrates in all kinds of ways that healthy living is part of the school’s DNA,” says Maarten van Ooijen. “From a healthy cafeteria and plenty of physical activity, to attention to health in lessons, to an impressive range of care and support for students who need something extra, for example because they are not feeling well. But even for a school that devotes so much attention, time and energy to health, it is hard work in these times. Across the Netherlands, coronavirus has had a major impact on students’ mental well-being.”
Perspectives
The tour was followed by a discussion in which various perspectives on Healthy School were addressed. The State Secretary spoke with, among others, Veenendaal’s alderman for public health, the director of the Utrecht regional GGD, and Healthy School coordinators from primary school Juul, SBO De Windroos and ROC Midden Nederland. The purpose of the discussion was to show the State Secretary different perspectives on a healthy lifestyle at school. Topics included the influence of poverty, the misconception that working on a healthy lifestyle takes a great deal of time, the value of making the topic of relationships and sexuality open for discussion, and the indispensable efforts of the Healthy School advisers from the GGDs in promoting health through education.
Structural attention
“The discussion with various stakeholders once again illustrated that schools are an important link in the chain of the overall healthy development of children and young people,” says Iris Kummeling, programme manager of Healthy School. “It is essential to pay special attention to children and young people in vulnerable situations. We are pleased with the State Secretary’s genuine interest! Now and in the future, it will remain important to devote structural attention to the health of children and young people and to ensure that they acquire good health literacy. The Healthy School approach is a proven method for every school to work on this.”
Photo credit: Norbert Waalboer Fotografie.