‘Jamaica Moves In School’ Virtual Tour Begins January 28

To spread knowledge about the importance of physical activity and the correlation with well-being, the Ministry of Health and Wellness and the Ministry of Education and Youth will be hosting the inaugural ‘Jamaica Moves In School’ Virtual Tour.

The initiative, which targets infant, primary and secondary schools, is intended to encourage and highlight healthy lifestyles as an important aspect of wellness.

It is being staged in collaboration with the Association of Principals and Vice Principals, and the Jamaica Association of Principals of Infant and Primary Schools.

The tour will commence on Friday, January 28 at 3:00 p.m. at The Queen’s School in Kingston. The event will be live-streamed on the Ministry of Health and Wellness’ social media platforms, YouTube and Facebook and Zoom meeting.

It will feature exercise sessions, led by professional fitness instructors, to encourage students as well as faculty members to engage in physical activity.

The duration of the event is 60 minutes of low-impact instructional cardio workout, a question-and-answer segment and physical activity tips throughout. It will also feature online competitions and evaluation at the end of the event.

The tour will continue April 29. This coincides with the National School Moves Day, which is a day that the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education have designated to highlight the importance of physical activity and to engage schools across the island in physical activity.

The final leg of the tour is scheduled for May 27. In addition to physical activity, this segment will promote the healthy-eating component of the ‘Jamaica Moves In School’ Programme.

In an interview with JIS News, Senior Health Education Officer with responsibility for Healthy Lifestyles in Schools in the Ministry, Julia Manderson-Steele, says with the increased use of online learning, students and teachers have unwittingly adopted more sedentary behaviours.

Due to the new learning environment, students now sit for long hours on their devices to access online teaching and learning. During this time they are also engaged in unhealthy snacking.

“We recognise that since the pandemic, several of our students and teachers alike have been using the online space. What this may have done is to cause persons not to be as active as they used to be. The whole point of the virtual school tour is for the school community to really take the opportunity to be engaged in physical activity and for them to learn about healthy eating,” Mrs. Manderson-Steele explains.

She says the Jamaica Moves in Schools Programme continues to be necessary, particularly where the severity of the impact of COVID-19 has been linked to comorbidities, which have primarily been non-communicable diseases.

She adds that the tour is intended to engage the school community to reinvigorate and strengthen the Jamaica Moves in Schools Programme.

Senior Health Education Officer with responsibility for population-wide physical activity, Charmaine Plummer, says a recent Lifestyle Survey indicates that more than 82 per cent of Jamaicans are engaging in low-intensity physical activity and only 16 per cent meet the recommendations of 60 minutes of structured physical activity for five days per week.

“Especially with the pandemic, we are seeing a lot more of our children and adults being inactive and consuming so much more refined food. We are seeing a lot of inactivity among the population. In our Global School Health Survey, it is telling us that the prevalence of obesity increased by 68 per cent and has doubled over the past seven years for boys,” she informs.

“We want to encourage the entire population to be active. However, we want the children to be active… through the virtual tour. While we have their attention, we want to encourage them to find ways to incorporate more physical activities in their daily routine,” she adds.

Ms. Plummer says physical activity helps students to perform better academically, as it helps them to concentrate and reduce stress, adding that physical activity promotes healthy mental, physical and social development.

President of the Association of Principals and Vice Principals and Principal of The Queen’s School, Jennifer Williams, is encouraging all students to participate in the initiative.

“It is important for our health and mental health that we keep our bodies in tune and be physical… . I am encouraging all students to join us on the platform and let us do some movement together,” she urges.

Announcement of prizes will be made before, during and after the event. These include physical activity tool kits, Jamaica Moves T-shirts and water bottles, among other prizes.

Prizes will be awarded for different categories – students who keep on their cameras and participate for the entire event; adults/teachers who keep on their cameras and participate for the entire event; students who encourage a member of their household to participate in the event, and schools with the most participants.

Highlights of the event will be featured on the Ministry of Health and Wellness and the Ministry of Education and Youth social media platforms.