The children’s voice and interdisciplinary health promotion programme

Health issues and well-being that challenge humankind are gaining worldwide attention. Since children now at school will become decision making citizens at a time when these problems are gaining much social importance, educating children on these issues become of paramount importance. Education not only provides them with knowledge, but also opens up the world for them to voice what they perceive about the world around them. In recent years, attention has been given to this ‘child voice’. The child voice could refer to identifying, encouraging and expressing their unique perspective and interest. Understanding child voice may facilitate the design of appropriate health education programmes that can better respond to the needs of children and society. This study aims to capture the child voice on the major issues in the areas of well-being and health. A mixed method research approach was used to examine the understanding of 226 Primary 5 pupils from two schools through an activity-based promotion programme. The knowledge level of the children was improved and some have developed interdisciplinary perspectives about the problems related to their health and well-being. An interdisciplinary health education programme that transcends single-disciplinary perspectives is needed to develop a healthy school.