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Wellbeing Policy for Schools Launched
Posted by Schooldays Newshound, on 20/07/2018.
Tags: Education And Politics
The Minister for Education & Skills, Mr. Richard Bruton T.D., today (20th of July) launched his Department’s Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Practice 2018-2023, fulfilling a key action in the Minister’s Action Plan for Education, which seeks to make Ireland’s education and training service the best in Europe by 2026.
Making the announcement today, Minister Bruton said, “This Policy will inject momentum into supporting schools to nurture resilience in our students. It recognises that Wellbeing is a whole of school responsibility with partnership roles for staff, parents, students and the wider community.”
The Policy clearly outlines what a school demonstrating best practice in this area looks like. Such a school will have strong policies and actions that ensure:
Our National Support Services will step up the investment made in building capacity within schools to deliver:
This Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Practice complements existing measures already in place to support work in this area – the introduction of the Junior Cycle Wellbeing programme, a nearly 20% increase in the number of NEPs psychologists (since 2012), the restoration of guidance posts and the recent rollout of suicide awareness for prevention, and critical incident management training for teachers.
Minister Bruton said, “I am keen during my time as Minister to make sure that we are doing all we can to support students, teachers and schools in the area of Wellbeing promotion. All schools and centres for education will have embedded a Self-Evaluation Wellbeing Promotion Process by 2023. This process will include an assessment of their current policies and practices and will map out targets for improvement, in line with best practice for school wellbeing promotion. Schools will be supported in this work by a national professional development programme for all schools and centres for education, currently being developed and trialled, and commencing in 2019.”
Minister Bruton acknowledged the considerable work already being undertaken by schools and centres for education to provide innovative approaches to wellbeing promotion, supported by strong leadership and quality teaching and learning. The Minister said, “By providing this Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Practice I believe that we can build on the excellent work that is happening in our education system already and realise our goal to achieve the best education and training system in Europe by 2026”.
The Department of Education's Press Release can be found HERE
The full Wellbeing Policy statement and Framework for Practice 2018-2023 can be found HERE
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