Prioritizing well-being over learning in schools is crucial for the overall development of students and teachers. An article by Kavyapriya Sethu in 2021, emphasises how prioritizing student well-being benefits not just students but also teachers and parents. It helps build and maintain better relationships, especially with teachers and peers, and promotes greater self-awareness, resilience, and responsible decision-making. Similarly, prioritizing teacher well-being is critical since only teachers with good mental health will be in a strong position to support students facing challenges of their own (as Henry May, CEO of Coschool & Founder of The Huracan Foundation, writes in 2022 LinkedIn post).
Prioritizing well-being during term time is about the small things that individuals do regularly to maintain and nourish their health and well-being. Adrian Bethune writes that a staggering 18% of the almost 8000 respondents in a teacher well-being survery said they never prioritised their own well-being. 51% said they only managed to at the weekends. A Council of Europe report states that schools need to adopt a framework where well-being is a fundamental component. This can be difficult to achieve, but it is essential to create an overall sense of well-being in a person.
Parents also agree that pupils’ well-being is more important than academic results, as this research, carried out by YouGov for the Youth Sport Trust outlines.
We know it’s crucial. So how do we go about it? Watch this space.
Citations:
https://www.orah.com/blog/4-reasons-why-schools-should-prioritize-student-well-being
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-prioritising-wellbeing-teachers-so-critical-2022-henry-may-
https://www.coe.int/en/web/campaign-free-to-speak-safe-to-learn/improving-well-being-at-school