School health services: A key pillar of student healthcare

As healthcare increasingly shifts toward proactive care and the early detection of disease risks, school health services also need to be further strengthened. Dong Nai’s education sector is working to develop a school health system with sufficient personnel, regular monitoring of students’ health, and the gradual digitalization of health records.

Students undergo health checkups at the beginning of the 2026-2027 academic year at Chu Van An A High School in Chon Thanh Ward.

These are key priorities under the plan to implement the School Health Program at educational institutions across Dong Nai City for the 2026-2035 period.

Proactive school health services

During the first days of the 2026-2027 academic year, schools across Dong Nai are conducting health checkups for students while working to establish regular teaching and learning routines. The annual checkups provide an initial assessment of students’ health, giving schools a basis for monitoring their condition, providing counseling, and coordinating with families when health issues requiring attention are identified.

Following its merger, Trang Dai Secondary School in Trang Dai Ward now operates two campuses serving more than 9,200 students. The large student population, coupled with a reduction in the number of management staff, is certain to create additional pressure. Therefore, the school’s management proactively developed a plan to ensure that all activities at both campuses are implemented in a coordinated manner. On August 27, the school welcomed sixth-graders back for the new school year. The following day, August 28, it began conducting beginning-of-school-year health checkups. With more than 9,200 students, the school contracted a qualified clinic, which mobilized its maximum available workforce to conduct health checkups for the entire student body over three days: August 28 and 29, and September 3.

“All school staff and teachers have completed their health checkups. As students undergo their checkups, the school is also entering their health data into their electronic health records. Previously, the school worked with local authorities to identify students who did not have Level-2 electronic identification accounts (VNeID) and instructed them to register for the service so they could undergo health checkups and have their health records updated at the beginning of the school year,” said Pham Thi Hai Anh, principal of Trang Dai Secondary School.

At Nguyen An Ninh Primary School in Tam Hiep Ward, the school has also proactively implemented a range of school health measures ahead of the new academic year. Principal Hoang Thi Ngoc said the school’s satellite campus, formerly Tan Tien Primary School, does not have a dedicated school health worker. The school has therefore provided training and assigned school health support duties at the campus to an office staff member, a teacher responsible for school psychological counseling, and a teacher supporting students with disabilities. In addition to these three staff members, the school health worker at the main campus will provide support when necessary. The school has established close coordination and clearly assigned responsibilities to ensure that student healthcare is not overlooked and that students’ safety is maintained.

As the school provides meals for boarding students, food safety and hygiene, as well as access to clean water, are given particular attention. The school began providing food safety training for all teachers and staff on August 21. It will also organize additional training on preventing and responding to accidents and injuries, as well as activities to raise students’ awareness of environmental protection.

Following the merger of educational institutions, school health services are expected to take a more proactive approach, particularly in disease prevention and control.

At Chu Van An A High School in Chon Thanh Ward, the annual student health checkups were conducted on August 26. Principal Nguyen Van Nghiem said: “This year, the students’ health checkups were conducted earlier. At the same time, teachers entered students’ health data into their electronic health records on VNeID with support from health workers. Teachers and other school staff also underwent health checkups at the beginning of the academic year.”

Strengthening the school health workforce

The significance of school health checkups goes beyond identifying health issues at the time of examination. More importantly, the results need to be monitored throughout students’ school years. This is also a key direction set out in the School Health Program implementation plan for 2026-2035, recently issued by the Department of Education and Training. The overall goal is to improve the quality of primary healthcare, health monitoring, nutrition education, physical fitness, mental health support, and disease prevention and control for students. By 2035, school health services are expected to be implemented in a coordinated and effective manner, with gradual modernization and greater use of digital transformation.

The plan also sets targets for the school environment, rather than focusing solely on individual health. Educational institutions must ensure that drinking and domestic water meet quality standards and that sanitation facilities meet students’ needs. Schools providing meals must comply with food safety regulations, including the three-step food inspection process and food sample retention, while ensuring adequate and balanced nutrition.

One notable target is for 100% of educational institutions to coordinate with healthcare facilities to provide students with periodic health checkups or screening at least once per academic year. Following the examinations, schools must establish, manage and update students’ health records, monitor signs and risks related to nutrition, physical fitness, physical health and mental health, and coordinate with families and healthcare facilities when necessary.

The Department of Education and Training aims to ensure that by 2030, 100% of educational institutions have designated personnel responsible for school health services. All educational institutions are also expected to have a health room or an appropriate healthcare area equipped with essential medicines, medical equipment, and first-aid supplies.

In nutrition and food safety, 100% of educational institutions providing school meals must comply with food safety regulations, including the three-step food inspection process and food sample retention, while ensuring age- and grade-appropriate nutrition.

To turn these targets into reality, the education sector has identified the school health workforce as a key priority. Under the plan, by 2030, Dong Nai aims to have at least 60% of public high school staffed by dedicated school health workers who meet requirements. It also aims for 100% of boarding schools, ethnic minority boarding and semi-boarding schools, and schools for students with disabilities to have dedicated health workers, as well as 100% of vocational educational institutions to have qualified, dedicated school health personnel.

To achieve these targets, the education sector will review the current staffing situation at high schools, vocational educational institutions, continuing education centers, and affiliated units, assessing staffing levels, professional qualifications, staffing arrangements, and training and professional development needs. Priority will be given to assigning health workers to schools with large student populations or a higher risk of disease outbreaks, accidents, and injuries.

The education sector also plans to accelerate digital transformation in student health management. This includes gradually introducing electronic student health records and updating information on periodic health checkups, nutritional status, physical fitness, school-related diseases, vaccinations, health counseling, and other risk factors requiring monitoring.

The plan also calls for the use of digital technologies, artificial intelligence, and data analytics tools to provide early warnings of risks related to nutrition, physical fitness, mental health, school-related diseases, infectious diseases, and food safety.

By Hai Yen – Translated by Mai Nga, Minho