Draft text for creating a Healthy Schools Day Resolution

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Draft text for use in creating a        

RESOLUTION

Recognizing April 8, 2014 (change the date as required each year), as Healthy Schools Day in Canada – Journée des écoles saines du Canada (for Canada as a whole, or other name for a specific province).

Whereas many schools have problems linked to indoor air quality;

Whereas children are more vulnerable to environmental hazards;

Whereas children spend an average of 30 to 50 hours per week in school;

Whereas staff spend even more time in their school workplaces;

Whereas poor indoor environmental quality is associated with a wide range of problems that include respiratory Illnesses and poor concentration leading to poor learning;

Whereas asthma studies show up to 13% and in some areas 17% of school age children have asthma, the leading cause of school absenteeism, accounting for thousands of missed school days each year, and high costs to the medical system;

Whereas many studies have found positive health impacts from improved indoor air-quality;

Whereas healthy new and existing schools provide cleaner air, improved lighting, and reduced exposures to toxic substances, and provide a healthier and safer learning environment for children, and improved academic achievement and well-being ;

Whereas research suggests that children attending schools in good condition score 5 to 10 percent higher on standardized tests than students who attend schools in poor condition;

Whereas studies show that resources put into improving indoor environment quality have a rapid pay back;

Whereas our Country’s school boards commonly make very difficult decisions between cutting back much needed academic programs vs. cutting back on needed building maintenance;

Whereas federal and provincial governments have demonstrated interest in this important issue by developing programs like the Tools for Schools IAQ Action Kit, creating data, information and conferences on school IAQ; and are working to provide healthier schools every day, and;

Whereas our schools have the great responsibility of guiding the future of our children and our (Province or Country). Our children are our country’s greatest resource;

Now, therefore, be it resolved,

That the (Parliament of Canada…Provincial Legislature…) recognizes April 8, 2014 (change the date and year as required), as ”Healthy Schools Day in Canada – Journée des écoles saines du Canada ”.

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