Implementing the European network of health promoting schools in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Lithuania and Poland: vision and reality

This article explores key developments in health promotion within the European Network for health Promoting Schools project (ENHPS) in four formerly communist countries: Poland, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Lithuania. The concept of the Health Promoting School has been uniquely interpreted by these countries resulting in a variety of health promoting initiatives at school, community and national levels. These include: variations in the management of the project in the different countries; the direction and support for schools provided by the national project teams in each country; the effect of national governments on project outcomes; the communication between project participants and strategies for disseminating project outcomes; the training of teachers and health professionals; and the extent to which the local community and parents have been involved in school projects. The introduction of a holistic concept of health promotion into the education system and schools in these countries has inspired and equipped teachers to adopt 'democratic' approaches to health education teaching and move away from the more traditional, didactic approaches. The two researchers witnessed more relaxed relationships and more opportunities for pupils to engage and be active. This corresponded with changes in the political, social and economic conditions of these countries since the removal of communist regimes. The vestiges of past regimes, current economic circumstances and national histories inevitably play a part in the context in which a radical vision of ENHPS is embraced by entrepreneurial professionals in under-resourced communities and schools.Key words: active learning; eastern Europe; educational innovation; Health Promoting Schools; WHO