Do schools provide an opportunity for meeting The Health of the Nation targets?

The development of school health education has been uneven over the past 20 years. Major surveys conducted during this period indicate that the considerable growth observed in the late 1970s to mid-1980s was followed by a period of stagnation and erosion which has persisted to the present day. This paper traces the contents and influences of key national policies with the greatest influence on these trends. It is concluded that the most recently formulated policies on both health education and general education are having a detrimental effect and are limiting provision within this field. Recommendations are made for purchasers of health promotion services to assist schools at the local level in maintaining and developing programmes reflecting good practice in the teaching of the subject.