New Delhi [India], July 26 (ANI): Health and education are deeply connected pillars of equity, dignity, and opportunity, said UNESCO South Asia Director Tim Curtis, highlighting the significance of wellness-focused education initiatives that prioritise learners.

His remarks were made during the 11th capacity-building workshop under the School Health and Wellness Programme (SHWP), held in New Delhi, which aimed to train educators to support adolescent well-being in CBSE-affiliated schools across India.

The eleventh capacity-building workshop under the School Health and Wellness Programme (SHWP) was conducted from 7 to 11 July in New Delhi as part of a joint initiative by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), and the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), said the statement.

'Health and education are not separate goals; they are interlinked foundations for equity, dignity, and opportunity. Every wellness session, every teacher trained, every child heard--it's a step toward systems that put learners at the centre,' said Tim Curtis, Director of the UNESCO South Asia Regional Office.

This workshop plays a crucial role in the national strategy to develop a wider network of master trainers, who will implement the programme in 30,000 CBSE-affiliated schools with the aim of reaching 15 million adolescent learners across India.

In June and July, over 290 school principals, leaders, and educators from 22 states and 5 union territories, including Andhra Pradesh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Odisha, Puducherry, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal, participated in the workshop.

Anandrao V Patil, IAS, Additional Secretary, DoSEL, Ministry of Education, emphasised the importance of mental health, gender equality, and inclusive education in achieving the holistic vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.'You are changemakers. Never forget that,' he said, reinforcing the role of education in shaping responsible and empathetic individuals.

Prof. Dinesh Prasad Saklani, Director NCERT, commended the collaborative efforts of CBSE, UNESCO, and NCERT in organising the workshop. Reflecting on the importance of understanding adolescents more deeply, Saklani emphasised that when underlying issues in a student's family go unnoticed, teachers may respond differently without realising the context. He noted that this is why such training is critical, as it helps educators recognise challenges and work towards achievable goals.

Under the leadership of NCERT and with support from UNESCO, a 24-hour curriculum, training modules, and facilitator guides were developed to support implementation. In addition, UNESCO and NCERT have co-developed animation videos and a comic book based on the 11 themes of the School Health and Wellness Programme, including emotional well-being and mental health, gender equality, reproductive health, and responsible internet use.

These resources, available in English, Hindi, and nine other Indian languages, were said in a statement.

Launched in February 2020 under the Government of India's Ayushman Bharat initiative, the School Health and Wellness Programme (SHWP) adopts a holistic approach to student well-being through education that focuses on prevention and promotion. Since August 2022, 970 master trainers have been trained through eleven intensive five-day workshops held at NCERT.

These trainers are now leading implementation in their schools and supporting the training of others through CBSE's Centres of Excellence. To date, over 40,000 teachers have been trained via 754 Capacity Building Programmes under SHWP. (ANI)