Levelling the playing field
HGSE Professor Matthew Jukes

In regions of the world where material resources are scarce, health and nutrition problems create major barriers for children's participation and success in school. In his recent book, School Health, Nutrition, And Education for All, HGSE Assistant Professor Matthew Jukes proposes a thought-provoking approach to improving education - by treating children's health problems. In this audio interview, Jukes explains why health interventions are useful for promoting education outcomes.

"Levelling the playing field " – A Q&A with Matthew Jukes

Q1. What is your rationale for this book on school health and nutrition programs?

"The rationale for this book was that school health and nutrition programs are becoming increasingly popular…"
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Q2. What are your reasons for focusing on non-life threatening diseases? How many children are affected by these diseases, and how do they impact educational outcomes?

"Yes, when it comes to child health, many people’s focus is on life-threatening diseases…"
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Q3. Are health programs really a good way to improve education? Wouldn’t focusing on other things, like teacher support or textbooks be a more direct approach?

"It’s an interesting question that if your interest is in improving children’s education, why focus on their health? And nobody's expecting to be able to deliver education through a pill…"
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Q4. In your book, you propose delivering medical treatments and nutrition initiatives through schools. What do you think are the major benefits of using schools in this way?

"Yes, using schools as the center for the treatment of disease seems like an unusual approach, but actually there are many good reasons for doing so…"
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Q5. How have communities in the poorest regions responded to these initiatives? Is there any resistance to the programs?

"Yes, of course it’s essential to get cooperation of communities in order to implement these programs. But in fact, many communities recognize the common health problems that are addressed by school health and nutrition programs…"
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Q6. How would you assess overall progress in children's health and nutrition in the regions you discuss in your book? Have these programs moved communities significantly closer to achieving the UN's Millennium Development goal of universal primary education?

"It’s actually quite difficult to assess the progress being made in children’s health and nutrition in the regions we discuss in the book…"
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Interview conducted by Maria Fusaro, doctoral student in Human Development and Psychology at HGSE

For more information on this subject, see Matthew Jukes, Lesley Drake, and Donald Bundy (2007), School Health, Nutrition, and Education for All: Levelling the Playing Field. CABI Publishing, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, UK.