School-Based Materials

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Ghanaian children learn about fly-to-eye transmission of trachoma while
playing trachoma card games.

'Who has a household latrine?' Tanzanian students learn about latrine use, face washing, and environmental improvement.

Overview

In trachoma-endemic countries, ministries of health and ministries of education work together to develop curricula for primary school students. Schools promote hygiene and sanitation by installing latrines and face- and hand-washing areas, but they also integrate trachoma lessons into the standard curriculum to encourage students to continue these practices at home.

A variety of materials have been developed to educate students on trachoma. Exercise workbooks, games, cards, posters, stickers, and school notebooks are just a few examples of health education materials targeted to a school-aged audience. Programs that use innovative materials, including those in local language, have been very successful in getting students to be enthusiastic about trachoma control.

Many health education programs combine visual aids and games with theatre activities, drama groups, and musical performances. In Ethiopia, for example, students actively promote trachoma control in their communities based on their school trachoma lessons.

Developing School-Based Materials

As with all forms of health education and behavior change communication, it is important to consider the target audience. Whether working with primary or secondary students, consider how to best tailor your approach to fit into the existing school curriculum.

Start with a lesson plan: How can new materials be integrated into existing health promotion activities?
Conduct research to determine the existing knowledge and learning habits of students in the target area. What sort of games do they enjoy? Have they done drama activities in the past? Do they already receive health education?
Identify a few key themes. Avoid presenting too much detail in each piece of material.
Design interactive materials that encourage students to think critically about the health of their communities.
Develop a teacher's guide: School-based materials are often part of a large-scale regional or national health education campaign. Teachers attend training to learn about trachoma prevention and how to use their new educational tools before the campaign begins.

Most schools have community advisory committees. Committees should be invited to participate in the development of the curriculum. Committee involvement ensures that the program has community support. It also guarantees that the messages developed are culturally appropriate.

Pre-Testing School-Based Materials

To pre-test school-based materials, you will want to implement many of the same approaches as with other types of educational materials. Your test audience should not be limited to just primary students; include educators, community leaders, and parents.

When pre-testing materials with educators, verify that the messages are clear. Also pay attention to the 'teach-ability' of the material. Will these materials contribute to their existing lessons?

Suggested steps for pre-testing:

Discuss the purpose of health education with community members.
Pre-test the draft materials with a focus group of parents. Are they comfortable with the material? Are the materials appropriate for the context?
Present the materials to educators and ask them to use the materials in the classroom setting.
Observe how the students react to the draft material.
Pre-test the materials with individual students. Identify the level of comprehension and impact. What do they think was the major lesson? Do they understand the language used? Can they suggest different words?