National School Health Strategic Plan, 2013/2014- 2017/2018

School health lies within the scope of sector policies and international, regional and national strategies. The purpose of the SH strategic plan is to provide a detailed roadmap and framework for the effective implementation of the SH policy. The strategic plan seeks to ensure implementation of quality integrated services for all children at school, calling for inter-sectoral coordination of the education, health, nutrition, sanitation, and child protection sectors. The Plan was developed through national consultations by collecting the views of local communities, districts, provinces etc. the Plan identifies that the major barriers to learning for children in Rwanda are poor health, poverty, environmental factors such as inadequate water and sanitation facilities, inadequate school infrastructure, communicable and non-communicable diseases and gender based violence. These factors impact on attendance at schools and on learner's ability to concentrate on school lessons, leading to a high drop-out and repetition rate. The general objective of the Plan is to create a healthy, safer and hygienic environment for the school community, so as to ensure effective teaching and learning while the specific objectives include; To provide preventive and curative services that address needs of school children; To ensure provision of safe water and adequate sanitation facilities in schools; To improve and enhance knowledge of students and teachers about SH, including prevention of diseases, management of disabilities and special learning needs, HIV, GBV, hygiene, nutrition, physical education and mental health; and To ensure that children and young people are equipped with the information, knowledge, skills and values to make responsible choices and to achieve their full potential. These objectives are to be achieve through, advocacy, capacity building, research on school health issues, integration of school health into education curricula, coordination and collaboration among stakeholders, monitoring, evaluation and learning, life skills development and transfer, and parents and community involvement/engagement and ownership.