Health Education for Everyone by Joy

Health Education for Everyone by Joy - June 2025 Scholarship Essay

I believe health education should be a required class in primary and secondary education because we need to learn about our physical and mental well-being. This knowledge is essential for leading a happy, fulfilling life. The education system in the U.S. is structured so that students either don’t have to take a health class in high school or can enroll in only a semester of health. I just don’t think that's right, as this amount of time is insufficient to cover important topics such as Relationships & Social Health, Substance Abuse Prevention, and Sexual Health & Human Development.

As adolescents, it's crucial to teach these subjects when kids are young so they can apply this education throughout their lives. If not, people may go their whole lives without the proper knowledge necessary to make decisions about their health. After school, they have to seek out information about their health on their own, which can be time-consuming and costly. A society full of individuals educated about their health fosters understanding and knowledge that can benefit one another.

If health education is integrated into the education system, other countries that currently lack health education in their general curriculum may follow suit. As a nation, we need to support and uplift each other, not just for our own benefit but for that of others around the world.