AIA Malaysia has unveiled the panel of judges for the AIA Healthiest Schools competition, which aims to inspire schools nationwide to encourage healthy living habits among students aged five to 16.
The initiative represents a significant step in fostering health literacy and well-being in Malaysian schools, emphasising both students’ health and sustainability.
The esteemed 5-member panel includes experts from the education field, public health sector, and wellness and community advocacy, bringing with them a wealth of experience and dedication to advancing student health.
The judges include AIA Malaysia Ambassador Datuk Nicol David, Ministry of Education deputy chief inspector of schools Dr. Razianna Abdul Rahman, Financial Industry Collective Outreach CEO Clare Walker, Pemimpin Global School Leaders CEO Cheryl Ann Fernando and Project ID co-founder and CEO Kelvin Tan.
Datuk Nicol David, a former World Squash Champion expressed her belief in the positive influence of sports on a child’s development.
“As a former athlete, I completely believe in the power of sports as a positive force in a child’s development. I believe that if we can instil healthy lifestyles in school, we will be helping children have a healthier, better and brighter future,” she said.
Dr. Razianna Abdul Rahman also believes that forming healthy habits helps students cultivate positive behaviours and achieve academic success, which are crucial in their journey towards becoming socially responsible individuals.
Supported by the Ministry of Education Malaysia, the AIA Healthiest Schools programme, which was launched in October 2023, provides free resources that teachers can easily incorporate into their teaching plans.
These resources empower teachers to introduce health and well-being concepts effectively into their classrooms, and are open to all government, private and international schools at both primary and secondary levels.
The programme includes a competition to motivate participating schools to showcase their impact and success in driving better health outcomes amongst students.
The competition which closed for entries on March 8, 2024 is offering prizes totalling USD$100,000 to schools demonstrating the best health and wellness efforts.
These awards recognise the schools’ initiatives and provide additional resources to support ongoing commitments in student well-being.
The AIA Healthiest Schools programme, part of AIA Group’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategy, was launched in 2022 to bring positive impact to children’s health across the region. The first edition of the programme took place in four of AIA’s 18 markets – Australia, Hong Kong, Thailand, and Vietnam.
For more information on the AIA Healthiest Schools programme, teaching resources and competition go to https://ahs.aia.com/my/en/
