Student Wellbeing

The literature confirms that the last two years of COVID and the uncertainty that has been caused by this pandemic have impacted the wellbeing of young people. The Education Council (2020) reports that young people are becoming increasingly anxious about the uncertainty of their futures. The report asserts that this anxiety has been heightened by the profound disruptions of COVID-19, and the “sense that normal life is unlikely to be fully restored” (p.12). Our young people know that they are inheriting global challenges, such as climate change, international conflict, and health epidemics. The rate of change in society and the workplace is such that all we can say for certain is the future will be very different.

With so much uncertainty and challenges, student wellbeing in the last two years has been compromised. According to a study conducted by the Australian Human Rights Commission (2020) 29 percent of young people experienced mental health issues. Save the Children (2022) report that young people are particularly vulnerable to the psychological effects of community-wide emergencies and crises. They assert that nearly one in three young people have experienced lasting negative mental health and wellbeing effects. At our school, the 2021 MMG survey indicates that student wellbeing was at 68 percent. Although, this is commensurate with other schools, it needs to improve if our students are to realise their potential. This is supported by the AIS NSW (2022) that conclude in their report that student wellbeing is an important foundation for successful learning.

Truwell (2022) collected data from more than 400 teachers and approximately 2900 students during the first two terms of 2022. The data demonstrates that a third of all students are not coping and that the capacity to cope had declined from 74 percent in Term 1 to 61 percent in Term 2. The study found that an acceptable level of hopefulness and happiness was missing in 30 percent of students and their wellbeing was suffering. These findings are confirmed by Buckley Flack, Schoeffel, Walker and Bickerstaff (2022) who conclude that a third of 20,000 young people who were part of a pilot study struggled with their wellbeing each week.

What is becoming increasingly evident, is that schools need to find ways to enable young people to find ways to cope with this uncertainty and experience greater hope and optimism. According to Jan Owen from Learning Australia (2022) at a recent AIS Conference, for young people to flourish and experience wellbeing, they need to experience mastery, agency, and purpose. Mastery is not just about achieving well academically, it is about mastering the essential future skills, such as creativity, critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and cultural competence. Agency is about students having ownership of their learning and knowing that they have a say about their education and future. Both mastery and agency contribute to a strong sense of purpose and in turn, wellbeing.

Shinde et al (2021) assert that student wellbeing can be improved if students believe that the school enables them to have a voice and greater autonomy. This connects to Owen’s focus on the importance of agency. This is supported by Deci and Ryan’s (2000) Self Determination Theory that is recognised as an important measure of student wellbeing and focuses on the three basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. The theory posits that students flourish when their actions and goals are self-determined. They will experience autonomy when they experience choice and are initiators of their actions. Students need to be provided with opportunities to have mastery over challenges and new experiences if they are to develop a strong sense of identity. This is connected to the need for relatedness, which refers to a sense of belonging and feeling connected. The need for autonomy is defined as the necessity of experiencing a sense of choice and feeling respected. Guay (2021) concludes that when schools enable students to experience autonomy, competence and relatedness, students’ perseverance, academic achievement, and wellbeing will progress.

One way that we can enable students to achieve mastery, agency and purpose is by valuing and acknowledging their voices. We have invited students from across the school to join a range of teams such as the ECEC Children’s Council, the Strategic Planning Team, the Hills Education passport for the Future team, the Library team, the Platasquad team and the Wellbeing team. We also have a Student Representative Council. The ECEC Student Council that was nominated by their peers has already presented several resolutions to me. I have managed to secure two unicorns and skipping ropes but the request for a jacuzzi and bath bombs cannot be met!

Our Years 5 – 12 Student Wellbeing team of 30 students, that has now been joined by 20 more students since last week, has been tasked with supporting the school to address the wellbeing of students. Their first two tasks have been guiding and leading the development of our mobile phone policy and developing ways that we can encourage kindness across the school. Just before the previous school holidays, they were given several research papers that presented arguments for and against the banning of mobile phones in schools. The team leader, Lachlan Ashenden, conducted a survey that was responded to by over 350 students. They will be presenting their recommendations and the new policy at the end of this term. By handing over the decision-making to the students, we are empowering them to have agency and own the final recommended approach rather than enforcing a policy that could be subverted by the students. The focus on kindness has been instigated by the belief that the previous lockdowns have affected the way that most people interact. One very wise year 10 student stated that students were using Tick Tock and Snapchat to post anonymous comments about others during lockdown. Now that we are back at school, he believes that some students are walking snap chatters without the filters or anonymity. He stated that it is not bullying that is relentless but unthinking and unfiltered blurts.

Graham, Simmons, Truscott, Anderson and Moss’s research (2017) claims that students working together to participate in the school decision-making process is key to increasing student wellbeing. I am so proud of the students at Hills and have enjoyed working alongside and learning from young people who are the future. Their voices need to be heard and respected. When students work alongside the staff and are a key part of the decision-making process, they develop a greater connectedness to their school and community and a stronger sense of responsibility.  I have discovered that their ideas are wise, informed, and insightful. They affirm to me that the future is in very good hands.

Karen Yager | Principal