SHILLONG: The two day National Seminar ‘New Perspectives of Health and Physical Education in Schools organized by North East Regional Institute of Education (NERIE) began on Wednesday.
The seminar was inaugurated by PK Srivastava, Principal Secretary, Department of Education, Meghalaya Government.
Appreciating NERIE’S contribution in terms of conducting educational research and providing academic support and advice to the states in the areas of school education, Srivastava said that there is a need to treat education as a service to the students who should be empowered to become responsible persons with the capacity to make responsible choices.
Stressing on ‘Health as Wealth’, he also asked the organizers and the participants to ensure that the students in schools are educated about health and the right perspectives to train both the mind and body so that they can face health and physical issues with right kind of attitudes and behaviour.
The official asked the participants to come out with suggestions for interventions and policy formulations that will make educational service providers render the children with better quality education.
The keynote addresses were delivered by Prof. Veerappan, Rtd. Head of Department of Education,
RIE, Mysore, and Prof. Rupali Baruah, Head of the Department of Community Medicine, Gauhati Medical College, Assam. Emphasizing that ‘a sound mind is possible only in a sound body’, Prof. Veerappan stressed on the need to give more importance to prevention of diseases rather than cure and to inculcate positive attitude and healthy habits and lifestyles through health and physical education.
Prof Rupali Baruah highlighted the fact that even a disease like cancer can be prevented by right intervention.