Development of the JCSH

The Consortium reflects the declared commitment made by First Ministers in the 2004 Health Care Accord to working across sectors through initiatives such as Healthy Schools.

In the Fall 2004, the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC) and the Conference of F/P/T Deputy Ministers of Health (CDMH) endorsed the establishment of a Joint Consortium for School Health and a School Health Action Plan that address a variety of health, social and learning-related challenges of school-aged children and youth. The founding meeting took place in March 2005.

(From Pan-Canadian Integrated Healthy Living Strategy of 2005)

Without integrated effort on healthy living:

The general direction of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global School Health Initiative is guided by the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion (1986); the Jakarta Declaration of the Fourth International Conference on Health Promotion(1997) ; and the WHO’s Expert Committee Recommendation on Comprehensive School Health Education and Promotion (1997).

Organizational Structure

The JCSH is governed by two Deputy Ministers’ committees – the Advisory Committee of Deputy Ministers of Education (ACDME) and the Conference of Deputy Ministers of Health (CDMH).

The JCSH Management Committee is composed of Assistant Deputy Ministers, Directors, and other senior officials representing the Education and Health Ministries in each member province and territory. The Management Committee provides the main forum for executive level discussion and decisions affecting the work of the JCSH.

The JCSH School Health Coordinators’ Committee is composed of senior policy advisors, managers, and school health specialists of the Health and Education Ministries. This table serves as a pan-Canadian forum to advance comprehensive school health initiatives throughout Canada, and to support collaboration and alignment between health and education sectors in the promotion of health through the school setting.

The Public Health Agency of Canada acts as the lead contact for the federal government.

The Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC) sits as an observer.

The JCSH Secretariat functions as neutral support to the JCSH member provinces and territories, and facilitates communication, collaboration, and knowledge dissemination.