Health and Wellbeing of Children in Education

Health and Wellbeing of children in education

Children in education are facing issues continuously through their duration in school. Health and wellbeing have become a common factor within education that aims to ensure that children are healthy mentally and physically. Issues have risen regarding health and wellbeing highlighting obesity and mental health in children in which I will discuss with evidence further on. There are various ways of making children healthier and suggestions made that can make a child’s health and wellbeing better especially in education.

Mental health is a factor brought to attention when discussing health and wellbeing in education. Young Minds (2017) show statistics that one in ten children are diagnosed with a mental health disorder. An issue that has shown in children ages five to sixteen. These statistics focus on the increase of mental health becoming a part of a child’s health and wellbeing. Mental health being an issue, may impact on a child’s ability to develop and focus whilst in education. Relying on school environments to provide support to children emotionally, socially and through physical health shows concern. (Donaldson, G.  2015). Technology being a major involvement in childhood may cause mental health in children. Kirby, J. (2015) reinforces this by stating that statistics show that higher levels of emotional issues are gained by using social media websites.

Therefore, Benjamin Neelon, S, E. et al (2016) implies that early care and education settings represent an important opportunity for intervention as nearly two- thirds of children under five years spend majority of their time in those settings. Benjamin Neelon, S, E. et al. (2016) related to children under the age of five whilst Young Minds (2018) statistics’ show that issues are highlighted further in their development from ages five to sixteen. Both show that issues relating to health and wellbeing of children are not defined to a specific age, therefore a solution to solve the problem that’s affecting health and wellbeing is required.

The Welsh Assembly Government has taken this problem on board within their curriculum for schools in Wales over the years, with improving health and well-being as an important feature of their policy and support to schools (Donaldson, G. 2015). With acknowledging health and wellbeing in schools, however it may discard the issues regarding mental health and obesity. The Welsh Government (2016) relay this by stating that addressing issues early on leads to a positive impact on the social, emotional and educational achievement for a young person. The support of government involvement may voice the issues of health and wellbeing to offer support to tackle the problem that’s present in children within education.

One way of voicing health and wellbeing to schools, could be through technology. As we are involved in the digital age, technology could be popular to schools. RSPH (2018) agrees that technology is a useful tool by stating that the involvement of the education system helps to provide the correct tools,  which navigating the digital age protects mental health and emotional wellbeing. Through experience, I have taken part in helping schools apply ideas to a wellbeing app that my university course has created. An app called iValue app, which is aimed to provide support in wellbeing and health within children in education. In taking part, I participated with other members of my course in a yoga session. The yoga session included physical activity which can be used in schools. With using an app like the iValue app could support what RSPH (2018) implies, by using technology as a direction for children to include health and wellbeing correctly within schools.

Supporting RSPH (2018), Kang, J. et al (2017) based a study on facing the problem of obesity by using a mobile platform named ‘Happy Me’ which is designed to prevent childhood obesity and improve healthy behaviours. Concluding from their study, they imply that eating healthier and physical activity is the best strategy for obesity prevention. (Kang, J.et al. 2017).

Physical activity may be a solution to tackle the problem of obesity affecting health and wellbeing of children in education. The Donaldson report (2015) states in the area of learning experience that physical activity is concerning and it needs to be addressed. By 2020 the DCSF (2010) aim is to reduce the amount of children that are overweight to the levels that were presented in the 2000’s. (Evans, J. and Rich, E. 2011). The concerns between Donaldson report (2015) and the DCSF (2010) may prove to be challenging to incorporate tackling the problem of obesity within education. Kilgour, L. et al. (2015) agrees by referring to the challenges that the agenda of a school day is not flexible enough to apply such opportunities on to educational providers.

With pressure on educators today the challenge of including priority to health and wellbeing in education is proven difficult as shown through the evidence discussed. However, with all responsibility on tackling obesity to improve health and wellbeing in education, Evans, J. and Rich, E. (2011) states that evidence shows obesity prevalence ratings of children ages two to ten years old are the lowest since 2001. There is a reduction in ratings stated by Evans, J. and Rich, E. (2011) although, schools are seen as an increased option and a key setting to apply health messages through the curricula (Kilgour, L. et al 2015).

Health and wellbeing is a subject that needs to be discussed and prioritised in education. Prioritising health and wellbeing enables learners to develop and achieve whilst being healthy in their personal performance. I agree with Donaldson, G. (2015) who implies that including health and wellbeing will promote children’s habits that will reduce health inequalities and better wellbeing in education.

References

Benjamin Neelon, S, E., Østbye, T., Hales, D., Vaughn, A. and Ward, D, S. (2016) 'Preventing childhood obesity in early care and education settings: lessons from two intervention studies', Child: care, health and development, 42 (3), pp.351-358.

Jung, H. Y., Jae-Heon, K., Hyun, O. K., Mona, C., Myungja, O., Jihyun, N. and Eunju, S. (2017) ‘Interventions for Preventing Childhood Obesity with Smartphones and Wearable Device: A Protocol for a Non-Rndomized Controlled Trial’, International journal of environmental research and public health, 14 (2), pp. 1-10.

Evans, J. and Rich, E. (2011) ‘Body policies and body pedagogies: every child matters in totally pedagogised schools?’, Journal of Education Policy, 26 (3), pp. 361-379.

Kilgour, L., Matthews, N., Christian, P., and Shire, J. (2015) ‘Health literacy in schools: prioritising health and well-being issues through the curriculum’, Sport, Education and Society, 20 (4), pp.485-500.

Young Minds (2018) Introduction to Children and Young People’s Mental Health. Available at: https://youngminds.org.uk/find-a-course/introduction-to-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health/ (Accessed: 21 November 2018).

RSPH (2018) #StatusOfMind. Available at: https://www.rsph.org.uk/our-work/campaigns/status-of-mind.html (Accessed: 21 November 2018).

Welsh Government (2016) Collaborative working between CAMHS and the Counselling Service. Available at: https://beta.gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2018-03/collaborative-working-between-child-and-adolescent-mental-health-services-and-the-counselling-service.pdf (Accessed: 21 November 2018).