Why Wellbeing’s the MOST Important thing your Child will Learn at School

A recent UNICEF report suggests that New Zealand is failing our youth. Is it time for Wellbeing Education to take priority?

 New Zealand: a lush, green paradise where people look out for each other, are safe, cared for, and blessed. 

Or New Zealand: the country with the second-highest rate of youth suicide in the world. The second-highest rate of youth obesity in the world. Currently sitting 35 out of 41 OECD countries when it comes to children’s wellbeing - this is according to UNICEF’s Report Card 16, Worlds of Influence.

Prompted by these numbers, in 2019, the New Zealand Government developed a Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy, which aspires to make New Zealand the best place in the world for children and young people. A noble goal. 

However, as someone involved in the education system who is passionate about our children and future. I wonder if we are truly making any significant modifications.

Thousands of articles have been written, and evidence gathered from around the world showing how practices such as Mindfulness and Meditation alongside specific lessons in Kindness, Empathy, Character Strengths, and Self Worth have huge impacts on the happiness and resilience of young people. Yet our education system continues to revolve around Reading, Writing, and Math. Is this an outdated focus that is failing our children?  

“If every eight-year-old in the world is taught meditation, we will eliminate violence from the world within one generation.” Strong words from the Dalai Lama support the growing body of evidence suggesting that the benefits of mindfulness and meditation could indeed change the direction our world is taking. 

Statistics suggest that explicit learning about our Strengths, developing Self-Worth, Kindness, and ways to deal with our emotions, such as Mindfulness, has a massive impact on the mental health of the learner. Could a more holistic approach to our children’s education be what is needed to combat these horrifying statistics? 

Many of you may be wondering if you want your child’s teacher to be instilling their values in them. Who decides on these values? The teachers? The politicians? This is a common opinion, and unless you specifically decide to send your child/ren to a special character school, traditionally, this sort of learning has been left to parents in the safety of their own homes.However, we are in the midst of a crisis. Are we choosing to empower our children or merely keeping things the way they have always been?

This is just the tip of the iceberg to topics that can be covered in Wellbeing Education.Surely a nation of children struggling with depression, anxiety, and overeating would benefit from learning some practices centred around these life-changing topics?

Positive Psychology and Education

A pioneer of Positive Psychology Marty Seligman from the University of Pennsylvania has done extensive research over many years on the impact of teaching wellbeing in the classroom. In his paper ‘Positive education: positive psychology and classroom interventions', along with co-authors Randall Ernst, Jane Gillham, Karen Reivich, and Mark Linkins he tested the effects of explicit teaching of wellbeing in various schools around the world. Their findings showed that children who take part in this type of learning are half as likely as their peers to suffer from depression, anxiety, and adjustment disorders.

“We conclude that were it possible, well-being should be taught in school on three grounds: as an antidote to depression, as a vehicle for increasing life satisfaction, and as an aid to better learning and more creative thinking. Because most young people attend school, schools provide the opportunity to reach them and enhance their well-being on a wide scale.” Seligman, M.E.P., et al. “Positive education: positive psychology and classroom interventions.” Oxford Review of Education Vol. 35, No. 3, June 2009, pp. 293–311.

Wellbeing Examples from Around the World

The New Zealand Institute of Wellbeing and Resilience has completed major research into the most effective ways schools around the world are incorporating well-being into their curriculum.

They discovered that the best results came in schools where the explicit teaching of wellbeing topics was adopted. Time was allocated to this each week, and teachers had professional development in relevant subjects. 

In a growing number of schools around the world, children are learning about topics such as Meditation, Mindfulness, Resilience, and Empathy. Merely type ‘Meditation in Schools’ into your favourite web browser, and you will come up with a plethora of examples. Schools such as Chatsworth Elementary School are successfully integrating meditation into their classrooms and are having fantastic well-being outcomes for their students.

In the meantime, there are a growing number of education facilities in the U.S.A, Australia, and New Zealand that are also successfully incorporating outdoor play and play-based learning into their schooling. Children learn to problem solve, be creative, use their imagination, work together, show resilience, and much more through this method of learning.

One morning a couple of years ago, I had a parent approach me before school and asked what I was doing in class. At first, I was taken aback, immediately thinking “Oh no what have I been doing that their lovely cherub may have gone home and complained about?” However, she quickly went on to say that at the dinner table over the last week, her daughter had been explaining to her parents how she is very creative and kind; however, she is going to work on being more patient and brave. She then discussed the different things she could do to help herself build these strengths. This parent and her husband were so impressed to see their child both recognising her innate strengths and being able to set goals for the ones she would like to develop in the future.

In my many years in the classroom, I have seen firsthand the benefits of explicit teaching in wellbeing practices. Children are like sponges. They still have the sense of creativity, fun, and unlimited potential that most of us adults lost a long time ago. Children enjoy learning about themselves and each other. Many of them even take this knowledge home to share with their family. Developing this knowledge and ability to talk about feelings, thoughts, and goals has only ever been empowering for children.

As stated earlier, there are numerous ways in which we can improve the well-being of our nation’s youth. Not one single practice will be the answer for all. However, as a parent, auntie, uncle, or friend, you can voice your opinions and let your child’s ECE, school, or college know what you value for their education. 

Is it more Reading, Writing, and Math? Or is it a balanced, holistic approach to being a valuable member of our society? Someone who cares about others, feels worthy, and can cope with the many curve balls life will inevitably throw at them? I am by no means suggesting we get rid of academics altogether as we all know that to be literate and numerate is of utmost importance, yet if research is to be believed embedding wellbeing into the school curriculum will enable so many more of our learners to reach their full potential.

As Albert Einstein once said, “Logic will take you from A to Z; imagination will take you anywhere.” Let’s encourage our children to live up to their full potential. Dream big and believe in themselves and others.

By developing a Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy it is clear that our Government sees a need to deal with some of the frightening statistics in UNICEF’s recent report. I know for sure, that if you asked almost any parent or teacher in this country what they want for their children, the answer would be for them to be happy, a positive member of society, and resilient. 

None of our children are going to get through life without some hardship at some stage, that is a fact. We have the means to aid our children in being happier and healthier, will we choose to utilise what we now know?

It is my vision that in the next UNICEF report we sit alongside countries such as Norway, Iceland, and Finland who have the highest-ranking policies and context to support child well-being.