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Principles for implementing the Student Health and Wellbeing Curriculum Framework in schools

These principles are intended to provide teachers with a guide to making decisions about the implementation of their programs.

Student Health and Wellbeing programs should:

Focus on providing opportunities for students to develop essential knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that enable them to make informed decisions about their health behaviours.
Programs that focus purely on developing knowledge related to health issues have had limited success because they do not have the capacity to take into account the complex nature of health related behaviour. Students need to understand and be able to apply knowledge, skills, attitudes and values to make healthy informed decisions.
Be taught in the context of school health and physical education and/or or personal development programs and be ongoing, sequential and comprehensive over time throughout schooling.
Separate and isolated programs may be attractive due to their convenience, publicity or quick fix claims, however, they do not usually reflect the coordination, continuity and context that can be provided by programs that have a sound curriculum base.
Present health education in a manner through which the development of personal and interpersonal skills takes place across a range of health issues.
Skills-based health education programs provide a sound basis of personal and interpersonal skills that can be transferred to everyday life to make better health decisions.
Be conducted by the teacher responsible for health-related learning outcomes, such as the classroom teacher, health and physical education, pastoral care and/or personal development teacher.
The classroom teacher, with specific knowledge of their learners and the learning context, is best placed to identify and respond to the needs of students and to coordinate health education with other classroom activities.
Use teaching approaches that respond to developmental, gender, cultural and socioeconomic differences and reflect an understanding of the dynamics between the individual, the social context and the health issue.
Practices that are sensitive to the characteristics of the learners (such as their maturity, culture and gender) will make programs more relevant and meaningful and can help to address the motivations for health risk behaviour.
Address health issues likely to occur in the target group and those that cause the most harm to individuals and society.
Some health issues attract media attention and public concern but these may not necessarily be the most relevant, age-appropriate or those that cause the most harm.
Incorporate harm-minimisation principles that aim to reduce the risks and harmful consequences associated with certain health behaviours.
We must acknowledge that despite our best efforts some young people will engage in health risk behaviours, but this does not mean that we, as individuals or as a system, condone that behaviour.
Selectively utilise resources and external agencies based on their capacity to complement and enhance, not replace, the central role of the classroom teacher.
The credibility of the teacher's role in meeting student needs may be compromised where externally developed programs or resources are imposed on schools.
Foster messages that are consistent across the school environment and among school staff, students, parents and the wider community.
To maximise the potential for success, messages arising from health and wellbeing curriculum should be aligned and consistent with school policies and practices and incorporate the values and attitudes of the whole school community.
Provide opportunities for involvement of students, parents and the wider community in the school program at both planning and implementation stages.
A collaborative approach will help to reinforce desired behaviours through providing a supportive environment for school programs and the transfer of skills, knowledge, attitudes and values to everyday life.

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