Alleviating Disadvantage with
Schools & Communities
UN Agencies
Technical Committee
June 2007
Douglas S McCall
Purposes
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Introduce four sub-tracks
Discuss why context matters, really matters
Identify some differences in four contexts
Suggest follow ups in four areas (networking,
communities of practice, practical uses of
technology in knowledge exchange, research
and development)
Some health tips
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Don’t smoke
Eat healthy
Be active
Drink water
Stay out of the sun
etc
Health tips based on social
determinants
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Don’t smoke
Eat healthy
Be active
Drink water
Stay out of the sun
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Don’t be born poor.
Don’t live in a poor
community.
Get a high-paying,
interesting job.
Marry well.
Don’t lose your job.
Start with the end in mind
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Communities of practice
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Networking
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Maximize practical uses of technology
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Develop and exchange knowledge
International School Health
Network (ISHN)
Network (loose, informal, messy) of other networks)
 Members from countries (3 per), regional networks &
agency offices, language, issue-based, research
centres, international agencies, regrouping of countries
(high, medium, low, mega) and schools reflecting
communities of practice
 Networking (side mtgs. at conferences), online
collaboration (web sites, email, skype, wiki, blog,
webinar, facebook) and knowledge dev (books,
comparative studies, country portraits & case studies)
www.internationalschoolhealth.org
http://internationalschoolhealth.blogspot.com
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Four Sub-Tracks
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Low income countries
Low income communities
Aboriginal communities
Disrupted communities
Only a beginning, not the end of the process
Clarity and Stereotypes
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Determinants or disadvantages
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Comfortable Canada
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Good enough is not good enough
HPS/CSHP/CSH/…..
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School Health Promotion is a professional concept
developed in several countries that must be redefined
in every community and every school to be effective
Educators have their own settings-based concepts, so
do crime/law, environment, development, human
rights/racism)
How that concept is developed, implemented and
sustained will depend on the historical, social and
economic context (eg Europe, US, Canada, Australia,
Latin America, low income countries, aboriginal
communities etc)
Context Matters, Really Matters
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Flay
Stokol
Fullan
Hargreaves
Each School has its own ecology
Each context brings different
issues, capacities, and approaches
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In Canada
In the world
Basic policy/program dilemma at all levels:
setting the agenda and the priorities
Recall the actions we can take
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Create and maintain networks
Create communities of practice, seek
continuous improvement, build capacity over
time
Make good use of technologies
Conduct targeted research and knowledge
exchange
Ensure meaning to our work with
the disadvantaged
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Organize to hear the voices from the margins
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Recognize limits of school’s influence on SES,
war/peace/conflict while still demanding accountability
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Use different forms of knowledge
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Establish links with other initiatives such as Soc
Determinants, aboriginal,
Low income Countries
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Issues: many, different, see next slide
Approach: Access to primary education, basic
literacy, delivery of cost-effective public health
services
Capacities: the school as the centre of the
community, respect for teachers
Actions to support:
Issues in low income countries
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Access to and effective basic
education
Schools construction, clean
water, sanitation teacher
training,
Basic literacy, completion of
primary school
Role of faith communities,
private sector
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H & S Issues
Basic hygiene
School feeding
Girls education
Trades education
Basic health literacy
Parasites, malaria,
Low income communities
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Issues:
Approach: Completion of secondary education,
basic health literacy and health careers,
delivery of health, social services
Capacities: schools as safe havens
Actions to support:
Issues in Low Income communities
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Equity in
Opportunity or Result
Literacy, numeracy,
Completing secondary
school
School renovation, clean
water, safe
transportation
parasites
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H & S Issues
Gangs, violence, FASD
family violence, neglect
Substance abuse
After school programs
School meal programs
Parent resource centres
Head start programs
Aboriginal communities
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Issues:
Approach: Completion of secondary education,
basic health literacy and health careers,
cultural relevance and colonization, traditional
knowledge and community as family
Capacities: schools as centres of renaissance,
community elders are better organized
Actions to support:
Issues in aboriginal communities
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Access to Ed Result
Completion of high
school
Vocation and trades
Cultural relevance of
school practices,
curriculum, materials
Governance issues
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H & S Issues
Suicide prevention
Child abuse/neglect
School meal programs
Aftermath of colonization
Chronic diseases,
genetic diseases,
Cultural relevance
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Pacific Islands
Generalized “we”
Indirect and implied
Diplomacy valued
Seeks consensus
“yes” means harmony
Contextual, relational
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Western world
Assertive “I”
Direct and frank
Debate valued
Seeks compromise
“yes” means agreement
Linear, analytical
Disrupted communities
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Issues:
Approach: Completion of secondary education,
Capacities: schools as centres of
reconstruction (often only place to start)
Actions to support:
Issues in disrupted communities
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Access Issues
School reconstruction
Clean water, safe
buildings
Emergency response
and preparedness
Role of development
org’s
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H & S Issues
Ethnic conflict
Safety from looting
Lawlessness
Stress, trauma, anger
Peace & global
education, human rights
Environmental education
One last “c” word
Cooperation
www.internationalschoolhealth.org