AUS
NZ
UK
CA
USA
IND
When we talk about the pandemic, we generally hyper focus on the grave impact it has had on adults. The fact is, though, it has also widely impacted the health and well-being in children around the world.
The crisis is not limited to just the contagious virus. It also comprises the isolation and other mental health issues it has triggered with the lockdowns and social distancing norms. And these issues have surfaced among children and young adults as well.
As the world discusses mental health and wellness more openly, experts are suggesting new strategies to address these issues in a better and more time-bound manner.
Embedding wellness into education system
Researchers at the Centre for Adolescent Health in Murdoch Children's Research Institute have come up with global health and well-being standards that can be embedded into the education system worldwide.
The standards were created after the World Health Organization and UNESCO reached out to the researchers to prepare a framework aimed at promoting wellness learning in schools.
The project lasted two years, and a detailed report based on it is expected to be released soon.
A researcher who worked on the project highlighted the issue of school closures amid the pandemic and the emotional and mental health impact it had on school-going kids.
The report is set to suggest as many as eight ‘health promoting schools’ standards. The framework is expected to enable governments, school managements and all stakeholders to develop and implement a curriculum that promotes nutrition and safety, while also fostering equality and diversity in schools.
Copyright © 2021 Kalkine Media
Lockdowns dealt a blow to mental health
It is widely acknowledged that children with major mental health problems are more likely to abandon studies than others. That a child who disengages from education at an early age is always at greater health risk in adulthood has also been highlighted in the study.
Lockdowns that have confined kids to the four walls of their homes could likely impact their future career prospects. These, however, can be addressed by having in place such global guidelines for mental well-being.
These guidelines also point to the fact that it is necessary to think of schools not just as a place of reading and writing, but also as a facilitator of the students’ broader well-being. Teaching standards are also expected to see an uptick based on these guidelines, as classrooms focus on more than just traditional learning aspects.
The report calls upon governments as well to expedite this initiative by providing adequate resources and by enabling policies.
As the pandemic subsides and the world rebounds on the back of vaccine rollouts, we will soon see kids going to schools again. Amid that, the global standards created by these researchers are expected to bring some helpful changes.
