Dubai School Health Policy a new milestone

The policy is thoroughly inclusive and addresses all aspects of student well-being — physical, emotional and developmental.

All-encompassing, focused and rooted in pragmatic vision, the launch of the Dubai School Health policy for private schools ushers in a new era of well-being for students. The Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) and the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) lays the foundation for schools to develop a full-spectrum programme for the physical, emotional and psychological health of students.

The rising statistics of obesity in children in the UAE are legion and many studies have pointed to sedentary lifestyles and smart gadget addiction. For every society, the onus of ensuring children stay active and healthy is a shared one and towards this end, the authorities are stepping up their contribution.

A thoroughly inclusive initiative, the school health policy addresses all aspects of student well-being. Starting with 150 minutes of physical activities a week, the policy ensures that a range of measures, including screening and school clinics, work towards achieving its desired outcome.

A salient feature of the policy is its emphasis on early intervention in all aspects including developmental and behavioural disabilities in children, and it is not just health professionals but academicians, too, are being trained in this regard. The importance, and desired yield, of this best-practice cannot be overemphasised. In pursuing these goals, the KHDA and DHA are offering the highest degree of reassurance and enterprise to parents, greatly supplementing the latter’s efforts in nurturing their children’s all-round health.



As a positive outcome for the community at large, the Dubai School Health Policy will take its place as another impressive milestone, with far-reaching advantages in the years to come.

Source: Gulf News