Children’s wellbeing has become schools’ highest priority since 2020, with demand for support for wellbeing-focused initiatives growing from 31% of applications in 2018 to 48% in 2023, new research shows.
The ‘Every Child, Every Opportunity’ report by Schools Plus analysed six years of data on how the Covid-19 pandemic’s “long tail” has impacted staff and students in Australia’s schools. It found that nearly half of schools (48%) seeking support from Schools Plus said they now identify wellbeing as their highest priority, up from 31% in 2018.
Teachers highlighted the need to build children’s social and emotional skills so they can manage their emotions and behaviour and build healthy relationships.
Despite the growing demand, more than half of the teachers (53%) feel inadequately equipped to manage wellbeing and mental health issues. In 2023, almost three in four (71%) wellbeing-focused applications identified the need for professional development for educators as the most effective strategy to better support children’s wellbeing.
“The wellbeing of children and young people – and how it supports their ability to learn at school – could not be more critical to Australia’s future. Yet, as this report shows, poor student wellbeing is a rapidly growing problem in our most vulnerable communities,” Sherrill Nixon, Schools Plus’ CEO, said.
“Exacerbated by COVID and natural disasters, it is showing up in classrooms and playgrounds in the form of negative behaviour, learning disengagement, and an inability to form relationships.”
At its most extreme, poor wellbeing is also playing a part in the rising number of students who are not showing up to school at all, Nixon said.
“Equally, more support is needed to help our educators. The lack of adequate resourcing is leading to higher teacher burnout and increased intentions to leave the profession.”
Nixon said while governments are working to improve student wellbeing, with recommendations from the report aligning closely with government priorities, schools still need additional funding and resources to tackle this issue.
To broaden the impact that Schools Plus is having in Australia’s most disadvantaged communities, the charity outlined three recommendations (below) for education policymakers to consider.
- Educator Professional Development: All educators, including trainee teachers, should have access to timely, evidence-based professional development to help them create safe and supportive learning environments, identify student needs, and implement strategies to support student engagement in learning.
- Wellbeing Navigators: All disadvantaged schools should have access to trained and dedicated ‘wellbeing navigators’ to coordinate effective identification, prevention, and early intervention wellbeing and mental health strategies.
- School-based Wellbeing Hubs: Establish wellbeing hubs that place all disadvantaged schools at the epicentre of tailored and tiered wellbeing and mental health support, including timely and affordable access to on-site experts such as GPs, psychologists, and social workers.
“These recommendations – if expanded to more disadvantaged schools – will lead to improved children’s wellbeing and learning outcomes, support educators, and drive enhanced outcomes for society,” Nixon said.
“We call on governments and the philanthropic community to collaborate with us to scale these interventions to a significantly greater number of schools.”