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Section 5: Personal and Social Development and Health Education

Home economics Throughout the S1/S2 home economics course, pupils are provided with knowledge and skills to make informed decisions about a range of health-related issues and opportunities to practice healthy choices. Early in S1, safe food preparation is highlighted. A checklist of identified controls is drawn up and used to evaluate personal food 'safety ratings'. These procedures are practised in every practical home economics lesson. Later in S1, pupils examine ways in which the law makes an impact on food safety in public eating places. Throughout S1 there is a strong emphasis on the impact of nutrition on the quality of health. In a topic entitled 'Food and me' pupils focus on the functions of nutrients in the body and the relationship between diet and health. In 'Design for life' pupils investigate the types of food enjoyed by their peers. In S2 there is a focus on the dietary targets for 2005. Pupils consider the benefits to health of choosing to eat foods that contribute to the dietary targets. All pupils each complete a nutrition diary for a week, in which they record foods eaten and the contexts in which they were eaten. They then set personal targets based on their eating patterns. The emphasis is on making small changes to diet in order to benefit health and ensure variety in food choices.

Modern studies As pupils progress through the primary school, there is a focus on 'people who help us' at various stages; this is common to both health education (strand: 'emotional health') and people in society. At the early stages of the secondary school, within modern studies, pupils have the opportunity to consider the needs of particular members of the community, for example elderly people and disabled people. This helps the teacher to address the health targets within the strand 'social health' relating to support within the community. Underpinning these aspects above, and others in modern studies, is the key concept of equality. On the political side, young people in S1 and S2 are able to explore issues relating to human rights, including the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 and women's rights. There is also opportunity for discussion on discrimination. The developing world is another forum for health education issues within modern studies, and one good example of work in S1 and S2 relates to a comparative study of health care in the United Kingdom and in one of the developing countries. Modern studies is also able to provide opportunities for pupils to consider the different roles and support offered by various professionals and agencies in the community; this links clearly to the 'social health' strand of the health education guidelines.

Science In S1/S2 science, pupils are given the opportunity to acquire knowledge and understanding and develop informed attitudes that relate to some aspects of health education. Within 'Living things and the processes of life', the strand 'the process of life' allows for the understanding of growth and development and of lifecycles. Pupils gain knowledge and understanding of the process involved in breathing and digestion and the role of the main organs in these systems. In the topic 'Reproduction' pupils focus on the main changes that occur during puberty and the main stages in human reproduction. They also identify the organs of the human reproductive system and develop an understanding of their functions. Pupils are encouraged to develop awareness of, and positive attitudes to, respect and care for self and others by taking responsibility for their own health and safety and thinking through the consequences for living things and for the environment of different choices, decisions and courses of action.

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