Introduction and aim. Childhood hypertension is an important precursor to adult hypertension. This study was used to investigate blood pressure level and nutritional status of pupils in public ...primary schools that were benefitting from the National Home Grown School Feeding Programme in southwest Nigeria. Material and methods. A cross-sectional study conducted among randomly selected 40 public primary schools where feeding programme was on-going in Oyo and Ogun States. Pretested semi-structured questionnaire was used to obtain information from the pupils. Anthropometric measurements and blood pressure readings were assessed using relevant tools. Results. Some of the pupils (129; 41.6%) aged 10-15 years (p<0.0001) were stunted compared to those aged 5-9years (60; 11.3%). Undernutrition among pupils aged 10-15 years was 47.7%, which was significantly higher than (p<0.0001) among pupils aged 5-9 years, 18.5%. Overall, prevalence of hypertension among the pupils was 6.0%. No significant difference between male and female groups with regards to MUAC (p=0.115), blood pressure (p=0.302) and BMI-for-age (p=0.100). A significant association found between blood pressure and BMI-for-age (p=0.004). Conclusion. Prevalence of blood pressure among the pupils assessed suggests more presence of high blood pressure in the population of primary school pupils. School feeding programme could be an avenue to improve nutritional indices among the pupils.
The development trajectories of children's SER remain unknown. This study aimed to characterize spherical equivalent refraction (SER) trajectories during grades 1-4 in Chinese children.
This ...prospective cohort study included 1226 first-grade non-myopic children from 12 public primary schools, randomly selected in two districts in Guangzhou, China. From November 2018 to March 2022, four-wave ocular examinations and questionnaire surveys have been completed. The group-based trajectory modeling was used to explore SER trajectories in grades 1-4.
All five trajectories showed an upward trend and rose faster after grade 2. Children in the sharp-developing (n = 44), high-developing (n = 136), and rapid-developing (n = 237) myopia groups developed myopia before grades 2, 3, and 4, respectively. Their SER development speed remained at a relatively high level after myopia, almost consistent with that before myopia. Children in the moderate-developing (n = 418) and low-developing (n = 391) non-myopia groups did not develop myopia before grade 4. Some characteristics in grade 1 were independently associated with SER trajectories, including sex, axial length, number of parents with myopia, residence, academic achievement, and the duration of outdoor activity. Based on the baseline characteristics, we established the model predicting the probability of children belonging to each group.
Myopia interventions are best started in grade 1 or preschool age. If interventions are not taken in time, the latest intervention window might be in grades 1, 2, and 3 for children with a high probability of belonging to the sharp-developing, high-developing, and rapid-developing myopia groups, respectively. The above probabilities might be predicted using the model we established. Moreover, the interventions for myopic children shouldn't be ignored.
The Law Guizot represents the birth of the public primary school. For Guizot, the «government of the minds» is important: In the country of France that has been traumatized by the Revolution and the ...agitations of the years 1830, he wants to moralize and to educate the people. This becomes the responsibility of the State, but it is necessary that moral education, which has priority, be also religious, which accounts for the strongly encouraged collaboration between the teacher and the priest. The supervision committees established by the Law reflect this apparent symbiosis between Church and State as well as the proclamation of the freedom of education. However, the parliamentary archives show a legislative path much less smooth. The context is characterized by suspicion concerning the priest-party, so active under the Restauration and suspected to channel ideas that are hostile to the new regime. Shouldn’t the first objective of the law be to channel the power of the clergy rather than giving it a primary role?
Background: Public primary school teachers receive more stable remuneration and service benefits (e.g., pension, housing allowances, bonuses, and medical aid) than teachers in most private schools. ...However, private school teachers perform better in local and international assessments than their public school counterparts.Purpose of the study: There is limited research on how public and private primary school teachers differ in terms of employee engagement and organisational commitment in South Africa, which are associated with low learner outcomes and widespread teacher resignations. This study aimed to determine the empirical differences between public and private primary school teachers' employee engagement and organisational commitment. Moreover, this study ascertained the relationship between employee engagement and organisational commitment and assessed whether teachers' biographical variables influence employee engagement and organisational commitment.Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative correlational research design was used. Data were collected using both simple random and convenient sampling methods. The employee engagement questionnaire and organisational commitment scale were self-administered to 300 participants in a rural educational circuit in South Africa.Findings: The results revealed that public and private primary school teachers differed on only two employee engagement subscales. No significant differences were observed between public and private primary school teachers regarding organisational commitment. Significant relationships were observed between some dimensions of employee engagement and organisational commitment. Significant associations were observed between some dimensions of the measured constructs and biographic variables.Recommendations/value: Workplace intervention initiatives should focus on addressing work-related and organisational issues efficiently, as this could impact employee engagement and organisational commitment. This study is deemed the first of its kind where public and private primary school teachers were compared on the two constructs simultaneously in South Africa and, therefore, contributes to the literature.Managerial implications: In addressing low learner outcomes and teacher retention, this study encourages continued interventions that promote teacher engagement and commitment.
Obtaining equal urban public services is essential to social fairness. This paper presents and assesses the equal distribution of urban public service facilities in China by examining 177 public ...primary schools in downtown Hangzhou. First, we collect data on the spatial distribution, population access to services, and student enrolments from the case schools. Second, we build spatial and social equity models to assess the rate of present facilities' equity. This paper assesses spatial equity with factors such as school ranking, enrolments per thousand residents, and home-to-school distance by using the index's scoring method. The Lorenz curve and Gini coefficient were used for social equity evaluation, in which household registration, housing, and the number of school-age children per family reflect the education demand features, and the enrolments present the supply-side features. The findings show that the spatial distribution of the public primary schools in Hangzhou varies significantly from the centre to the periphery. In other words, accessibility decreases from the centre to the periphery direction. In terms of social equity, most citizens have access to low-quality education resources, while only a few citizens can enjoy high-quality education. Equal access to public primary schools faced three problems. First, there was insufficient investment by the local government, particularly in compulsory education. Second, there are variations in education investment among different administrative units in a district and historical inertia. For the sake of a fair distribution of public primary school services, it is essential to increase investment in compulsory education, upscale the enrolment of primary and middle schools, and boost teachers' competencies. Furthermore, to improve social equity, faculty exchange programs between non-key schools and top key schools should be launched.
There is growing concern that screen time and media use in school-age children can negatively affect children's sleep. These negative effects are explained by three main underlying mechanisms: ...reduced sleep, time allocated for more media consumption; increased mental, emotional, or psychological stimulation by media content; and the effects of light emitted by digital devices on circadian rhythms and sleep physiology and arousal. In this study, we focused not only on sleep duration, but also on sleep problems. We conducted a large-scale survey to examine the relationship between excessive use of digital devices, Internet addictive behaviour, sleep duration, and sleep problems.
We conducted a cross-sectional study of children enrolled in 20 public primary schools in Nagoya City, Japan. Children's parents/guardians completed a questionnaire including the brief sleep questionnaire for Japanese children which is a shortened version of the 'Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire'. Logistic regression analyses were used to identify associations between sleep problems and grade, sex, weekday sleep time, weekend sleep time, ownership of digital devices, frequent checking of digital devices, use of digital devices for more than 4 hours per day, and Internet addiction.
In total, 8172 responses were received (91.6% response rate). After excluding incomplete responses, we analysed complete datasets for 6893 children with a mean age of 9.0 years. When adjusted for sex, grade, sleep duration on weekdays, and sleep duration on weekends, failure to control (odds ratio OR = 1.48; 95% confidence interval CI: 1.29-1.70; p < .001), more use than intended (OR = 1.27; 95% CI: 1.12-1.44; p < .001), and use to escape a dysphoric mood (OR = 1.30; 95% CI: 1.03-1.64; p = .027) were associated with children's sleep problems. A shorter weekday and a longer weekend sleep duration indicated a higher likelihood of sleep problems.
After adjusting for sleep duration, a relationship was found between the three Internet addictive behaviours and sleep problems, but not ownership of digital devices. Parents and teachers may need to address screen media-related sleep problems in children, as these problems may be influenced by psychological factors.
The current study aims to determine how emergency remote teaching (ERT) practices were conducted in a disadvantaged suburban public primary school during the COVID -19 pandemic. For this purpose, a ...disadvantaged suburban public primary school in the Marmara region, Turkey, was selected as a case and an instrumental case study design was chosen for the study. For data collection, in-depth interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview form with 10 classroom teachers. In addition, natural observations were conducted by one of the researchers who is also a teacher in the same school. As a result of the thematic analysis, two main themes were identified: "disadvantage experienced by students" and "the consequences of disadvantage." The disadvantage experienced by the students has two different dimensions, social and economic. It was found that these disadvantages lead to different effects on students and teachers. The results of the study show that students face economic disadvantages in purchasing the imperative learning materials to participate in the online course. Parents do not prioritize these materials due to low awareness. Socio-economic disadvantages lead to a digital divide and inequality of opportunity in education.It is clear that school closures will create even greater challenges for disadvantaged students in the future.s. In terms of teachers, these disadvantageous situations cause instructional difficulties such as challenges in planning the teaching process, neglecting the program, effective assessment; and individual difficulties such as anxiety and sadness.
This exploratory research investigates knowledge and beliefs about developmental dyslexia (DD) among public primary school teachers in Saudi Arabia. We explored links between several teacher‐related ...socio‐demographic variables (e.g., gender, teaching experience, self‐evaluation of teaching children with DD) and knowledge and beliefs about DD. Saudi public primary school teachers (n = 136) completed an online survey that included the knowledge and beliefs about developmental dyslexia scale (KBDDS). The results indicated that KBDDS scores were significantly associated with teaching experience, DD training, and self‐evaluation of teaching children with DD. We address limitations of the current research, note directions for future research, and discuss implications of these results for teacher training and professional development, with special attention to Saudi public primary education.
Food and nutrition notion among schoolchildren in Benin is still less documented. Few studies have examined the determinants of food and nutrition among schoolchildren while others have attempted to ...link knowledge, attitudes and practices to diet. The present study aims to evaluate food and nutrition knowledge, attitudes and practices among schoolchildren enrolled in public primary schools canteens in Cotonou and its surroundings.
A diagnostic study was conducted in twelve public primary schools with canteens. A structured interview questionnaire was used to collect data from 861 schoolchildren aged 7 to 14 years. Three scores were used to assess the level of knowledge, attitude and practice. The overall score was the total of correct responses. The maximum score for all the three parameters was 15, 6 and 4 respectively for knowledge, attitude and practices. Data were analyzed using STATA 16. Logistic regression was performed to identify the relationship between food and nutrition practices and knowledge and attitude. Pearson goodness of fit test was performed to verify the adequacy of the model. A P-value of less than 0.05 (P < 0.05) was considered significant at 95% confidence interval.
schoolchildren's nutrition knowledge was low (mean score 2.52 ± 1.33) while attitude and practices were acceptable (mean score 4.08 ± 1.39 and 2.84 ± 0.77). Only 18.2% of schoolchildren knew the different food groups and 3.4% knew that they should eat at least five fruits and vegetables a day. Most of the schoolchildren (93.6%) were favorable to eat at least five fruits and vegetables and 86.8% were willing to eat more than 3 times a day. Among all practices, snacking between meals and eating breakfast were poorly observed by the schoolchildren. Nutrition knowledge was associated with practices observed among schoolchildren but not with attitudes. However, a significant positive association was observed (p < 0.05) between attitudes and practices.
Knowledge on food and nutrition among schoolchildren from public primary schools with canteen was low. This study suggests implementation of nutritional education to improve schoolchildren's knowledge and attitudes towards healthy diets and nutrition.
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