This indicator examines if the national laws and/or policies have provisions in relation to ‘school health services’ in schools including ECCE centres. School health services refers to services such as health screening, immunisation services, vitamin supplements, preventive health education and counselling services to children.
Convention on the Rights of the Child, Articles 6.2, 18.2, 24.2 (a) (b) (d) and 29(a), General comment No. 7 (paras. 10, 12 and 27), General Comment No. 15 (paras. 20 and 36).
Specific references to ECCE:
Tashkent Declaration and Commitments to Action for Transforming Early Childhood Care and Education (Guiding principles and strategies for transformational ECCE, para. 2.iv): ‘Ensure all children receive nurturing care: Early childhood is a crucial time for physical and socio-emotional growth and development. Nurturing care encompasses the needs for good health, optimal nutrition, security and safety, early learning and responsive caregiving by primary care providers.’
As briefed by the Committee on the Rights of the Child (General Comment No. 15, para. 20), childhood is a period of continuous growth and in each phase important developmental changes occur in terms of physical, psychological, emotional and social development. These changes occurring at different stages of life have an impact on children's health. A lack of understanding these health implications in different stages, especially the preventable health diseases can have a significant impact on children's overall growth and development and adversely affect their learning abilities. Therefore, as recommended by the Committee on the Rights of the Child, ‘health-service provision within schools provide an important opportunity for health promotion, to screen for illness, and increase the accessibility of health services for in-school children’ (General Comment No. 15, para. 36).
While regular health services are recommended for all levels of education in schools, it is key for ECCE. As highlighted by the Tashkent Declaration, ‘ECCE recognizes the holistic nature of child development, encompassing early cognitive and social development, which requires foundational learning, responsive care, nutrition, health, safety, protection, and play.’ Therefore, the committee on the Rights of Child (General comment No.7, para. 27) urges States to take all possible measures to create conditions that promote the well-being of all young children during this critical phase of their lives. Further, it clarifies (General Comment No. 7, para.10) that article 6 encompasses all aspects of development and that a young child's health and psycho-social well-being are in many respects interdependent and affirms that the 'highest attainable standard of health care and nutrition during their early years' enables children to enjoy a healthy start in life (art. 24), which is vital for overall physical, cognitive, social and emotional development.
For more details on school health services refer WHO guideline on school health services.
Note that laws / legislative provisions will be more protective than policies. For more information see our webpage ‘What information to look at’ and chapter 6 of the RTE / UNESCO Right to Education handbook.