A brainstorming session on the Healthy School Children Project was held on 5th June 2026 at the Conference Hall, Faculty of Medicine, University of Jaffna, from 9.00 a.m. to 11.30 a.m.
The session was formally introduced by Eng. N. Nantharuban, who provided an overview of the project’s vision and objectives. The discussion that followed was moderated by Prof. B. Balagobi (Professor of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Jaffna). Valuable inputs were provided by Dr. S. Raviraj (Former dean, Commission Member, University Grant Commission), Mr. M. A. Sumanthiran (Senior Lawyer and former Member of the Parliment of Sri Lanka) Dr. G. Sritharan (Consultant Surgical Oncologist, Teaching Hospital Jaffna), Mrs. S. Krishnaveni (Engineer), Dr. K. Sithamparanathan (Retired Senior Lecturer, Department of Fine Arts, University of Jaffna), Dr. K. Ketheeswaran (Senior Lecturer, Sports Science Unit, University of Jaffna) and traffic police officials.
The session was marked by the active participation of teachers and principals from schools within the Jaffna Municipal Council area, who contributed valuable ground-level perspectives and practical insights drawn from their experience in the school setting.
The primary focus of the project is to enhance the holistic development of school children in the Jaffna district through targeted interventions in the following areas:
· Personal health and waste disposal
· Road safety and planetary health
· Development of soft skills among students
Based on the rich and multidisciplinary discussion, draft objectives for the project were formulated. The session concluded with consensus on the need for further consultations with a wider group of stakeholders prior to implementation.
The Healthy School Children Project represents a meaningful step towards fostering a healthier, more capable generation of young people in Jaffna, in alignment with the goals of the Jaffna Healthy City programme.
