Purpose of this Information Bulletin

The document Health Education in the Saskatchewan Core Curriculum, 1987 provided the foundation for the development of the Health Education curriculum guide for the elementary level. This policy document advocates a program which promotes and facilitates application of health knowledge into health-enhancing actions in daily life. It also recommends a comprehensive approach, a cohesive effort involving the school, the home and the community. All should work hand in hand to contribute to the students' acquisition of health knowledge when making health decisions and to actually implement such decisions.

The development of the elementary Health Education curriculum was guided by a review of the 1977 curriculum guide, from which effective elements were retained. Findings from the Health Education 7, 8, and 9 Curriculum Evaluation Project, conducted in May 1994, were also considered and incorporated into the development of the elementary level curriculum when they were applicable to the whole program.

The Elementary Health Education Reference Committee was established in 1995. Initially, the committee guided the development of the French language version of the curriculum guide. The committee was expanded when further guidance became necessary in both French and English. Members of the committee included teachers at the Elementary level representing the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF), as well as representatives from the University of Regina and University of Saskatchewan. Members of the committee served in a consultative capacity to the curriculum writers throughout the development phase of the curriculum.

Writing of the French language version of the curriculum guide started in 1994-95, and the initial pilot began in 1995-96. Approximately 20 teachers from French Immersion and Fransaskois schools were involved in this tree-year process. A group of approximately 30 teachers piloted the English language curriculum guide from September 1997 to June 1998. A three-year window has been set for the implementation of the Health Education curriculum at the elementary level, beginning in the fall of 1998.

The current Health Education curriculum guide was published in 1977. Since then, the notion of and effective health education program has evolved. Approaches promoting healthy lifestyles have become common in health related materials published for instructional purposes as well as in broader educational campaigns and initiatives. This curriculum reflects the need to go beyond the acquisition of health related knowledge, by incorporating a decision-making process at all grade levels, in order to encourage students to actually apply this knowledge to enhance their health and that of others. Students will gradually develop the skills necessary to overcome obstacles to healthy decisions, such as the influence of negative peer pressure or the media.

While recognizing the importance of the knowledge of the human body and how it works, the new elementary Health Education program also acknowledges the influence of stress management, diet, fitness, healthy relationships and self-esteem on our health.

The curriculum reflects the needs of the elementary student in our increasingly sedentary world, and is based on the principles of early childhood education and the different stages of development.

This curriculum is part of a larger framework extending from Kindergarten to grade 12. This framework, the Health Action Model, is described briefly in this information bulletin.

The Health Education curriculum guide for the elementary level incorporates the components of Core Curriculum (the Common Essential Learnings and the Adaptive dimension), as well as supporting initiatives (Indian and Metis content and perspectives, Resource-based Learning, and Gender Equity.)