Students, parents, teachers and opinion leaders from Frăsinești village, Ungheni district addressed issues related to adolescents' health, risk behaviors and the joint mission of the school and community to prevent these. The public discussion was held on Wednesday, May 22 and is part of a series of similar events conducted in 2019 in other 12 communities in Orhei, Rezina, Fălești, Cahul and Ungheni districts.
The aim of the public discussions is to foster the optional course Education for Health, where young people learn useful facts.
Natalia Plugaru, Deputy Representative of UNFPA Moldova, stated: “This subject is even more important since parents are abroad and helps young people to communicate, make responsible decisions and be protected from risks. This is why UNFPA supports the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research in promoting and improving this course.”
In 2018, 22 communities from Orhei, Rezina, Fălești, Cahul and Chișinău were involved in similar activities and, as a result, the young people from these areas study Education for Health in schools.
Mihailov Ala, director of the Frăsinesti school where 139 students learn, declared that this course will be delivered in their school. “We will do our best for this course to be taught here, because the school has a growing role in educating the young generation,” the director pointed out.
The optional course Education for Health is studied today upon request by about 22,000 adolescents, which makes up about 10% of their total number. This course comprises 7-9 modules that are important for the holistic development of young people, including mental, reproductive health, violence prevention, healthy eating, etc. The curriculum of this course has been revised with the support of UNFPA and the Embassy of Netherlands and includes quality information, adapted to the age of the students, to ensure their smooth development.
Daniela is 13 and is in the seventh grade. She considers this course to be important for adolescents. “I will definitely choose the course Education for Health and will convince my peers to do so.”
At the beginning of this week, over 100 people undertook to support Education for Health in their schools and communities at the first National Conference “School-Community Partnership in Promoting Education for Health among Young People.”
The mayor of Frăsineși village, Iacob Pîntea, thanked the donors and project partners and declared that he will engage the whole community in the actions that will be carried out for the promotion of Education for Health among the young generation of Frăsinești.
The public discussions are part of the campaign “Education for Health – my Right, my Choice", within the “Promoting Youth Health Education” Project implemented by UNFPA Moldova, with the support of the Embassy of Netherlands and in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research, the NGO “Partnerships for every child”, the Educational Center “Pro Didactica” and the Y-PEER youth education network”