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PART SPORTS AND HEALTH

PART B ENRICHMENT OF HEALTH EDUCATION

In this era of the 80 year life span, it has become even more important to keep healthy throughout one's lifetime. Thus, in an educational system that aims to foster the public's mental and physical health, it has become an important task to heighten the public's awareness of the importance of good health and acquiring the skills necessary to lead a healthy life.

Health education is concerned with acquiring the necessary knowledge and attitudes for maintaining and promoting physical and mental health. Schools, in particular, are expected to play a role in fostering people's basic abilities to enjoy a full and healthy life respecting their own as well as other's lives while coping with social changes. Health education in schools, that is, classes in "physical education" and "health and physical education," imparts knowledge about mental and physical health and safety in general. It also helps children acquire the proper attitudes about health through special activities and everyday life guidance including health guidance, safety guidance and school lunch instruction. Health education should thus span the entire range of school educational activities.

Furthermore, in a lifelong learning society it is important to carry out health education on a continuous basis throughout the various stages of peoples' life span. It is also necessary to promote the study of mental and physical health in conjunction with school education, through courses, classes and various other social education activities targeting youth and adults.