Muscat: The Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health, and the Al Jisr Foundation for Charitable Works inked a collaboration deal today to support the HealthPromoting Schools program. The goal of the project is to create a safe and health-promoting learning environment that allows students to improve their academic performance, acquire important life skills, and adapt into society.
The agreement was signed by Dr. Abdullah bin Khamis Ambusaidi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education for Education; Sulaiman bin Nasser Al Hiji, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health for Administrative and Financial Affairs; and Dina Al Khalili, Director General of the Al Jisr Foundation for Charitable Works.
Dr. Abdullah bin Khamis Ambusaidi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education for Education, said that this five-year plan is extremely important in improving students' health environment by serving as a critical instrument for influencing their academic performance.
He stated that the overall number of schools participating in the project since its inception has grown to 566 throughout the governorates' educational directorates. These schools carry out the initiative's programs in conjunction with the Ministry of Health and the Al Jisr Foundation for Charitable Works.
Sulaiman bin Nasser Al Hiji, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health for Administrative and Financial Affairs, stated that this project is based on a strategic collaboration to benefit the public, notably by improving health in school settings. This will be accomplished by improving students' living situations, boosting their academic performance, avoiding illness, minimizing absenteeism, encouraging mental health, and establishing long-term healthy habits, which will allow them to focus, engage, and learn more effectively.
Dina Al Khalili, Director General of the Al Jisr Foundation for Charitable Works, said that this strategic cooperation represents the union of health and education efforts, realizing a common goal of creating a healthy school environment that promotes students' academic achievement and develops their important life skills. She restated the foundation's goal of making a long-term difference for students and society.
The Al Jisr Foundation will support long-term projects for three schools that have received the highest gold-level distinction in the HealthPromoting Schools program for five years. In addition, the foundation will monitor the initiative's execution and work with expert teams from the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health to create a visual identity and an operational handbook for the initiative. Efforts are also ongoing to build an internet platform, which will be released later.
