The
purpose of this paper is to examine how the media portrays Health and Physical
Education programs within the school environment. The paper will go on to
consider whether this perception by the media is warranted, and how the new
National Health and Physical Education Curriculum (Australian Curriculum,
Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2014) assists teachers and support staff in
providing students with a valued and ethical framework from which to scaffold a
healthy life.
To
aid in the preparation of this paper, the paper’s scope will maintain a narrow
focus. This focus will be limited to the specific area of student mental health
and well-being from the foundation years onwards.
Local level content
From
the outset, the intention of this paper was to examine school health and
physical education and the media from a local level. Despite being in close
proximity to five government funded state schools and four private schools,
this idea became an increasingly difficult task.
While
local media provided copious articles on noteworthy first year enrolments;
visiting sports people and, the results of individual school and interschool
sporting achievements, little is written on other aspects of school life;
including programs that promote student health and well-being. A brief look at
each of the school’s websites (where available), indicated little more than a
commitment to student mental health and well-being, through non-specific
pastoral care measures and, the use of unqualified mental health practitioners
such as Chaplaincy support. It can only be concluded from the lack of
information available that;
a)
all schools in the area are undertaking
the same health and well-being programs, and there is little need to promote
program success,
b)
it is taken for granted that all schools
have some form of a health and well-being program and, the quality of the
overall program is of little concern,
c)
competition for enrolments in the area
is particularly tough and schools are not wishing to reveal their pastoral care
strategies or,
d)
by the very nature of the dominant
demographic and industry (mining), the community would rather close its eyes
and ignore mental health issues.
With
this in mind, news articles were collected on a state and national basis. To
ensure non-selective article retrieval, a search term of ‘school health
programs’ was used.
Summary of key themes and issues
In
reviewing the selected newspaper items, twelve key themes and issues relating
to teaching emotional intelligence from a strengths-based approach and the
promotion of general student well-being were determined. The commonality of
themes included:
·
Empowering individuals to engage
effectively with others through the formation of peer networks
·
Reducing the stigma associated with
mental illness
·
Building resiliency when faced with
difficult or adverse situations and circumstances
·
Secondary school seen as being proactive
in setting and promoting positive mental health standards
·
Prompts by organisations and individuals
for easier access to qualified professionals such as Counsellors and
psychological services rather than increased government funding to Chaplaincy
Programs
·
Moves to make emotional resilience
learning part of the National Curriculum
·
Improved mental health and well-being
leads to improved academic performance
·
Mental distress has a huge impact on
student learning
·
Acceptance of diversity
·
Connection between bullying and an
increase in poor mental health and anxiety, particularly in students who
identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Intersex or Queer (LGBTIQ)
·
Homophobia and transphobia encouraged
through the use of casual language
·
Discussion of the Mind Matters program;
a framework for schools that aims to promote mental health, prevent problems
and enable early intervention (Mind Matters, 2014).
Through
having worked with Aboriginal students in remote communities, very few of the
issues such as; the impact mental distress has on student learning; the stigma
associated with mental illness; resiliency building, or even the appropriateness
of government funded Chaplaincy over professionally qualified services came as
a surprise. However, one topic disclosed
which did come as a revelation, and has prompted further research, was the
discussion of passive bullying using casual language. In the article ‘Homophobic bullying commonplace in high
school physical education classes, new research suggest’ (Silver, 2014), it
is indicated that the casual language in seemingly harmless statements such as
‘you throw like a girl’ or ‘that is so gay’, can have detrimental mental health
effects on students who identify as gender variant and sexually diverse.
Citing
a 2014 study by Mental Health organisation Beyond Blue (Australian-first
study of the mental health of transgender and gender diverse young people),
Silver notes, LGBTIQ students have higher rates of reported mental health and
well-being concerns than their heterosexual counterparts do. Silver goes on to
reveal, that of this cohort, 80 per cent have been subjected passive bullying
during physical education classes. Prompted by these statements, and the call
of Beyond Blue CEO Georgie Harman for physical education teachers to intervene,
further research in to the area of passive bullying during physical education
(HPE) classes was undertaken.
In
their 2014 report ‘Growing Up Queer’,
Robinson, Bansel, Denson, Ovenden and Davies add credence to Silver’s claims.
Moreover, their research goes beyond the effect of casual language on mental
health, and examines the impact of passive and overt bullying in HPE classes.
Overwhelmingly, students also reported exclusion from sporting activities by HPE
teachers or, active marginalisation from their peers. Marginalisation of LGBTIQ
students by HPE teachers included; social isolation, humiliation, not being
permitted to change with other students, forced participation in gendered sport
(for example, netball for females and football for males) and, violation of
trust through direct homophobic and transphobic comments being made at
students,
Robinson et al. (2014, p. 5)
posit, young people were of the opinion that government funded state school
teachers were more accepting of sexual diversity than students were, whereas
the opposite was found to be true in the private school sector. As a
consequence of their status, the health and well-being of sexually diverse
students was further put at risk by increased rates of depression, anxiety,
self-harm and suicidal ideation. In addition to mental health, these students
were further marginalised through heteronormative sex education programs in
schools, which focused on reproductive sex, rather than sexuality education
that promoted sexual health.
Linking Media content with the Curriculum
With
19 per cent of students reporting severe levels of distress (Trounson, 2011),
and mental health issues amongst students predicted to escalate when compared
to the general population, many of the points illustrated by the selected news
articles support a common underlying thread. If educational institutions are to
assist students in developing a true sense of self and proper health literacy
skills, the common thread of making emotional resilience learning part of the
National Curriculum must come as a matter of urgency.
As
noted in The Shape of the Australian
Curriculum: Health and Physical Education (2012, p. 7), one of the Aims
of the curriculum is to enable students to promote their own health, wellbeing,
as well as that of others across the lifespan. It is suggested that the
acquisition of these skills and knowledge will underpin the competence and
confidence required by all students in order for them to engage in healthy and
active life-styles. Further, to promote opportunities for students to develop
self-efficacy, the curriculum will go on to address health and well-being
topics such as human biology, gender, sexuality, culture, ethnicity, pro-social
behaviours, and the impact socioeconomic status, physical and psycho-social
environments has on the individual (Shape of the Australian Curriculum, 2012,
p. 2).
What is of concern here is the negative impact some teachers and
support staff will have on students’, given the possibility of their own
attitudes and personal belief systems surrounding sensitive matters such as
bullying, mental illness and gender diversity. Such a point in case is the
example of the School Principal who referred to the school’s new well-being
program as ‘Operation Nutcase’ (Prisk and Koziol, 2014). Although the
Principal’s intention was a well-meaning, tongue in cheek attempt to break down
the barriers, his reference to students with mental health issues, poor
socialisation skills, lack of resilience and undue anxiety as ‘moron’s and
village idiots’ caused both staff and parental alarm. Add to this the examples
of passive bullying, the expectation of specific gender roles, and inaccurate media images that
perpetuates unfavourable stereotypes, that can lead to the rejection,
marginalisation and neglect of people with mental illnesses, there must be an expectation that such educational
programs will be well structured and monitored closely for equity, quality, and
absence of personal biases.
In examining the Health and Physical Education curriculum
(2012), a critical inquiry
approach and experiential learning for future mental health and well-being is
introduced to students in its most basic form
during the Foundation years.
This is achieved by assisting students in developing an awareness and
understanding of the self (ACPPS001) and, the effective formation and maintenance
of appropriate social relationships (ACPPS004), (ACPPS005) and (ACPPS006).
This theme is then carried through to years 1 and 2
with the ongoing development of personal and social skills, relationships, and
problem-solving strategies. As students progress through each year level, the
content descriptors and achievement standards in the area of Personal, Social
and Community Health become more complex and explicit in its teaching. For
example, in years 7 and 8 students begin to examine the impact on mental health
through (ACPPS070) which takes into consideration physical
changes on gender, cultural and sexual identities.
According
to Queensland Health, the World Health Organisation (2001, p. 1) propose that health and education are inherently
linked and an essential part of lifelong learning. They go on to suggest health
promoting schools are committed to the development of the whole individual, the
curriculum and the wider community.
While
there can be no denying the importance of general health and its link to mental
health and well-being in all sectors of the community, what does become of
concern, is the methodology used to convey this message to students.
Stevenson
(2012) indicates there has been significant debate in recent times regarding
the Federal government’s commitment of nearly half a billion dollars towards
the National School Chaplaincy and Student Welfare Program (NSCSWP). Elliot and
Smith (2014), state that while this non-essential funding is being made
available, $30 billion is being taken out of education and specialist school
health programs in the long term.
In
their reports, Elliot and Smith, and Stevenson all agree that chaplains are
over-stepping their boundaries and taking on mental health professional roles
such counsellors, psychologists and guidance officers for which they are not
trained. Citing the Australian Psychology Society (APS), Elliot and Smith note
that during school-based programs such as before school care, and breakfast and
lunch programs, chaplains spend much of their time taking students away from
supervision and providing counselling. The APS says this is practice with
dangerous consequences given increased levels of youth mental health issues and
rates of youth suicide. They argue that despite DEEWR guidelines regarding
religious proselytising and counselling by chaplains within school grounds,
governments will continue with the cheaper, vote-buying option.
This
paper has examined Health and Physical Education (mental health) in schools as
reported by the media. While many of the issues raised by the media were of
little surprise, much was revealed about the link between mental health,
bullying and sexually diverse youth. Concern was also raised about the role and
possible negative impact untrained school support personnel such as Chaplains
could have on overall student mental health and well-being.
From
the report by Robinson et al. (2014), an indication was also given regarding
the use of casual language, and the effect passive and overt bullying in HPE
classes had on the mental health of LGBTIQ students. This form of bullying
included exclusion from sporting activities by teachers or, active
marginalisation from their peers, social isolation, humiliation, forced
participation in gender specific sports, and direct homophobic and transphobic comments
being made.
Although
progress has been made in the development of a National Curriculum for Health
and Physical Education in schools, much of what is taught is at the discretion
of individual schools and limited by teacher understanding. For issues such as
sexuality, gender diversity, and bullying to be included within the context of
the curriculum, specific teaching modules would need to be developed to ensure
accurate content and an unbiased view.
References
Australian Curriculum,
Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2012). Shape
of the Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education. Version 3. Retrieved
from http://www.acara.edu.au/hpe.html
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