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An Open Web Meeting of FRESH Partners & Others Concerned with Education for Health & Well-Being

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This session will be a round table discussion format with several participants asked to provide initial comments.

FRESH Partners and others concerned with educational inclusion and equity through promoting school health, safety, personal, social and sustainable development have been convened to an urgent discussion of the UNESCO Recommendation for Peace, Human Right and Sustainable Development.��This framework, being considered at the November UNESCO General Conference, will be the basis for UNESCO monitoring and promotion of education sector policies and programs. To the dismay of many, education for Health & Well-Being (often called Health & Life Skills or Personal, Social & Health education) has been left off the extensive list of recommended core subjects that includes physical education, history, science, math, geography, reading, languages the arts, media literacy and others. 

�This open web meeting will discuss how a change in the text of the UNESCO Recommendation or an interpretation/understanding of other parts of the document (See paragraphs 10e and 49) be used to ensure that HWB curricula are included in any subsequent UNESCO guidance or monitoring activities.��Participants will then discuss a last-minute coordinated lobbying effort to inform country delegates to UNESCO and other influential organizations. This could include an open letter to the UNESCO DG and letters sent to UNESCO Permanent  Representatives and/or UNESCO Commissions in several countries��The second part of the web meeting will intoduce the Joint statement on transforming education & other systems and discus the  proposed FRESH Work Plan for 2023-24. The work plan includes

  • research and development on education for health & well-being
  • completing the UNICEF-UNESCO-ISHN-SFU survey and collection/analysis of country policy & curriculum documents
  • publishing a new FRESH Thematic Indicator (multi-intervention program) on preventing infectious diseases
  • activating the FRESH Working Group on Inclusion and working with other organizations to document, describe and promote whole of government approaches to school heath & development (as recommended by the UN Transforming Education Summit and the UNESCO Recommendation)�

�Recommended Readings & Resources

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Agenda

  1. Introductions��- Invited Participants�- Educator Group Statement�
  2. Background ��- FRESH Working Group on Health Literacy, Life Skills & Social Inclusion�- WERA International Research Group�
  3. The UNESCO Recommendation��- Context and UNESCO Progress�- UN Political Statement on Pandemic Preparedness�- Key Paragraphs�- Draft Letter to UNESCO DG & Member States�- Fact Sheet (Research & Facts)�
  4. The FRESH Work Plan 2023-24��- Research & Development on HWB Education�- Fact-Finding Survey & Collection of Policy & Curriculum Documents�- new Thematic Indicator on Infectious Diseases/Pandemic Preparedness�- FRESH Working Group on Inclusion / Whole of Government Approaches

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Welcome to several including

  • ISHN Board of Directors
  • Global Network of Deans of Education/Educators Group
  • World Education Research Association
  • UK PSHE Association
  • US Consensus on Health Education
  • International Health Literacy Association
  • Members of FRESH WG on HL, LS & SI
  • FRESH Partners
  • Joanna Herat, Lydia Ruprecht UNESCO

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1. Introductions

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2. Background

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FRESH Working Group on Health Literacy, Life Skills, & Social Inclusion�60 + participants, several webinars and papers, defined scope, key definitions on health literacy, life skills, social inclusion, papers on curriculum coherence, guesstimates on instructional time required to cover minimum on topics and behaviours, etc.

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WERA International Research Group

Need focused research studies and journal articles

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The UNESCO Recommendation

  • Context and Progress on HWB within UNESCO

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  • UN Political Statement on Pandemic Preparedness�adopted in September 2023 will require that countries “Take measures to counter and address the negative impacts of health-related misinformation, disinformation, hate speech and stigmatization, especially on social media platforms, on people’s physical and mental health, including countering vaccine hesitancy in the context of pandemic prevention, preparedness and response and to foster trust in public health systems and authorities, including by increasing public health education, literacy and awareness, while recognizing that the effective engagement of stakeholders requires access to timely, accurate and evidence-based information and awareness raising including through the use of digital health tools;” (P 11, OP35)�� – a core curriculum in health & well-being is one part of a whole school, whole of government, multi-sectoral response recommended in this Declaration

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The UNESCO Recommendation – the Curriculum Section

19 form a cohérent whole within curricula for différent levels and types of éducation, knowledge, disciplines, learning and training

  1. development of contextualized curricula, for ail subjects and topics,
  2. Education for peace and human rights, international understanding, coopération, fundamental freedoms, global citizenship and sustainable development should be provided to ail learners
  3. adopting holistic, multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches
  4. Thé practice of physical éducation and sports and learning through sports
  5. Thé teaching and learning of history, social sciences and related fields
  6. teaching of natural science, technology, engineering and mathematics
  7. thé study of différent cultures…teaching of languages and thé promotion of intercultural competencies…Culture and arts education
  8. récognitionof linguistic diversity, thé promotion of intercultural dialogue, thé development of multilingual skills, thé valorization of ail languages, notably Indigenous languages and mother tongue languages
  9. promote gender equality
  10. Digital competencies
  11. Climate change éducation, as part of éducation for sustainable development, should be integrated into curricula and across subjects

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The UNESCO Recommendation Key Paragraphs

request that UNESCO consider the wording and intent of Para 10e and Para 49 in the Recommendation so that Health & Well-being is understood to be among the recommended core curricula in the section on Curriculum & Pedagogy, especially when UNESCO prepares guidance or monitoring materials to implement the Recommendation.

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  • Paragraph 10e of the Recommendation calls for the strengthening of “school systems’ ability to promote physical and mental health and well-being …… through the provision of school health services, school meals and education for health and well-being of good quality.”�
  • Paragraph 49 of the Recommendation, which describes the principles to “release the full and transformative potential of education”. It states that “Quality, inclusive, equitable, and relevant primary and secondary education are central to equip learners with the key knowledge, skills, and values, to develop as individuals. Education should promote children's well-being, joy, and health. This means that the relevance of learning and learner retention require as much attention as educational access in order to ensure that ail learners complete schooling with the competencies required to lead active, healthy, sustainable and productive lives as autonomous and democratic adults.”

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The UNESCO Recommendation Draft Letter & Fact Sheet

The Draft Letter

Comments and discussion

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The Fact Sheet

Comments, suggestions, additions

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The FRESH Work Plan

  • Research & Development on HWB Education (clarify terms, collect documents, analyze curriculum structures, instructional time, mandatory requirements, generic scope & sequence, position in country competency frameworks, �
  • Fact-Finding Survey & Collection of Policy & Curriculum Documents�- individual responses then country responses, use of country lists for multiple studies�
  • Thematic Indicator on Infectious Diseases/Pandemic Preparedness �- followup on previous FRESH webinar �
  • FRESH Working Group on Inclusion / Whole of Government Approaches�FRESH Submission to UN Transforming Education Summit & Opportunities

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Next Steps

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