Rijeka Expands Health Education to All Primary Schools

The news in Croatian

1. širiti
   Proširiti nešto ili povećati opseg ili područje nečega. ↩︎
2. donijeti
   Dovesti nešto na neko mjesto ili do nekog stanja. ↩︎
3. obuhvatiti
   Pokriti sve relevantne aspekte nečega. ↩︎
4. prevencija  (f.)
   Radnja ili mjere koje se poduzimaju kako bi se spriječila pojava ili širenje problema. ↩︎
5. mentalni
   Ono što se odnosi na um ili duševne procese. ↩︎
6. ravnopravnost  (f.)
   Stanje u kojem su svi jednaki u pravima i obvezama. ↩︎

Translation

Text comprehension

Question 1: What was the result of the pilot project conducted last year in Rijeka?

Question 2: What is the goal of the health education program in Rijeka’s primary schools?

Vocabulary

Croatian	English
širiti	expand
donijeti	bring
obuhvatiti	encompass
prevencija  (f.)	prevention
mentalni	mental
ravnopravnost  (f.)	equality

Read the full story

The city of Rijeka in Croatia is set to expand its Health Education Programme to all primary schools starting this academic year. This development follows a successful pilot project conducted in six schools over the past year. The initiative aims to enhance the health literacy of children and young people, encouraging them to make informed decisions that positively impact their physical, mental, emotional, and social welfare.

Previously attended by around 100 primary school students during the pilot phase, the Health Education Programme (known locally as ZOO) is based on a successful model that draws inspiration from the city’s award-winning Civic Education Programme. The local educational authority reports that the programme will be implemented into schools based on student interest and with the consent of their parents or guardians.

Structurally, the curriculum is designed with a broad educational approach, combining scientific research with international standards. It emphasizes active learning and community engagement, encompassing four thematic areas: Healthy Lifestyles, Nutrition and Physical Activity, Addiction and Risk Behaviour Prevention, Mental Health – focusing on children and young people – and Sexual and Reproductive Health, including Gender Equality.

The programme’s initial materials were developed with contributions from a diverse group of experts, and feature suggestions for teaching and assessment methods tailored to each topic area. Uniquely, the assessment focuses on formative evaluation rather than traditional numeric grading.

Rijeka is leading the way as the first local government in Croatia to implement such a comprehensive health curriculum. Furthermore, materials and resources for this initiative are freely provided to other local and regional authorities and schools interested in adopting the programme. This regional sharing effort underscores the city’s commitment to fostering a healthier societal environment.

Meanwhile, Zagreb, another Croatian city, has also initiated a similar extracurricular health education programme, concentrating on issues related to addiction, mental health, and reproductive health. The city has established a task force to develop its curriculum fully.

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