Click here to download the Position Paper (199Kb pdf file). The unformatted text is published below.

STUDENT WELL‐BEING

This statement addresses:

(i) aspects of the present context and background of student well‐being in Australian schools,

(ii) the aspirations of public secondary schools in relation to student well‐being, and

(iii) strategic proposals for enhancing student well‐being.

Based on workshops held at the 2008 National Conference in Perth and material submitted at the ASPA Executive in November 2008 Tabled at ASPA Executive Meeting November 2008. Adopted by the SASPA Board in May 2009.

I. BACKGROUND

Parents, family, peers, government, churches, police, health and community service workers; as well as the media and – increasingly – communication and social networking technologies, all have a bearing on student wellbeing and the wealth of social capital that smart, happy, healthy, resilient, confident and engaged young people represent. The fact that the actual responsibility for children's wellbeing is so fragmented presents major challenges for schools, since schools are rightly seen as the logical ‐ if not the only – common, assured delivery point for wellbeing initiatives. Current work on the National Goals of Schooling gives us a wonderful opportunity to focus on well‐being from birth to young adulthood. As they are currently structured and resourced, schools can take several kinds of role in fostering and managing wellbeing for students through providing:

1. a safe and nurturing environment during the time the students are in their care.

2. positive learning experiences, planned and directed towards enhancing and protecting wellbeing. These include the traditional work of schools in delivering the knowledge and skills that enable the student to understand themselves and to establish their identity and place in the society.

3. In crisis situations, assessment and referral services to enlist services outside of the normal expertise and responsibility of school staff Nevertheless, these provisions vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and from school to school, depending on the available resources. For example, relatively few schools would be able to provide the services of a full‐time counsellor, notwithstanding the high levels of mental distress experienced by some of their students. It is ASPA's policy to advocate for the continuous improvement of public secondary schooling in all of these areas within a coherent framework embracing all Australian children.

II. ASPA POSITION STATEMENT
Public secondary schools across Australia aspire to provide:
1. A SAFE AND NURTURING ENVIRONMENT
Comprising the following elements:

• The physical safety and good maintenance of school buildings, grounds and facilities
• The protection of students from all forms of ill‐treatment, negligence and abuse.
• Well‐managed classrooms and activities, providing rich and positive social interaction
• Sufficient well‐trained and committed teachers and ancillary staff.
• An engaging and flexible educational program appropriate to students' developing needs and interests
• A voice and role for students in the running of the school, especially in matters affecting well‐being
• Sufficient attention to the well‐being of staff and school leaders
  

2. POSITIVE LEARNING EXPERIENCES
Curriculum:

• Robust, challenging and relevant curriculum, catering for the present and future physical, intellectual and emotional development needs of all students
• Mental health and child protection elements embedded in the curriculum in age‐ appropriate ways
• Specific mental health knowledge, skills and strategies related to such matters as stress, time management, depressive illness, etc

Pedagogy:

• Evidence‐based teaching practices, responsive to the needs of students
• Appropriate mix of challenge and self‐direction in a supportive context
• Positive encouragement to remain in education to Year 12 and beyond

Links to the Future:

• Opportunities to undertake career planning and explore post‐school options, including further education, training, employment and personal enterprise
• Activities and real‐world experience, developing self‐reliance in areas of personal care, finance, the workplace and the law
  

3. ASSESSMENT AND REFERRAL SERVICES
Mentoring and care arrangements which provide for:

• Recognition of the indicators of distress or disease, especially attendance, performance or behavioural issues
• Early intervention to address problems before they escalate
• Links and partnerships with professional health, welfare and counselling services
  

III. STRATEGIES

States and Territories have the core legislative responsibility in most of the policy areas that intersect with student wellbeing. There are several worthwhile curriculum and resource initiatives, both at State/Territory level and through federal auspices (e.g. Mind Matters, Kids Matter, Health Promoting Schools, Safe Schools Program, etc). However there is no overarching framework that promotes best‐practice in:

• Regulatory frameworks
• School management
• Curriculum and pedagogy
• School‐based services
• Bureaucratic and Interagency co‐operation Government needs to act on the data which supports the successes of school‐level intervention in helping our young people.

The data is available.

ASPA proposes two courses of action:

1) The development of:

a) a national framework for student wellbeing in schools.

b) A National Partnership program targeting this area and providing funding for school‐level initiatives aimed at enhancing student wellbeing

2) That a sum of $100/student (moderated by equity factors) be allocated through the National Partnership program to schools to support interventions in the area of student wellbeing.

The types of intervention to be funded will need to be established consultatively, but could include both i) strategic, whole‐school approaches aimed at prevention, and ii) provision of professional counselling services at an individual level In relation to the funding proposed in (2) above, the funding guidelines should provide for a high degree of flexibility for schools to best respond to the needs of their community. They should incorporate or allow for

i) the cost of a range of in‐school support personnel,

ii) the enhancement of guidance/counsellor services,

iii) the cost of accessing professional services beyond the school,

iv) the funding of prevention and early intervention programs (e.g. curriculum, extended/enrichment, targeted, resilience),

v) the purchase/hire of related materials or services,

vi) the professional development of staff,

vii) the facilitation of cross‐government of interagency services viii) parenting programs

The funding should be provided directly to schools to minimise administrative losses and the disbursal of funds should be via a school‐based approval process involving the Principal, staff and parents of the school.