Education support services and health promoting schools

1. Education support services and health promoting schools Dr Trish Struthers Physiotherapy Department, UWC The health promoting schools framework Health Promoting Schools Conference 2006

2. Overview Inclusive education system Health promoting schools framework Education support services Health Promoting Schools Conference 2006

3. Inclusive education policy Principles of human rights and social justice Access to a single inclusive education system Vision of an inclusive education system Equity and redress for learners excluded in the past NCSNET/NCESS Report (Department of Education, 1997) Education White Paper 6 (Department of Education, 2001) Health Promoting Schools Conference 2006

4. Education White Paper 6 (Department of Education, 2001) All children and youth can learn & all children and youth need support All learners are different & have different learning needs Education White Paper 6 Change attitudes, behaviour, teaching methodologies, curricula & environment to meet the needs of all learners Uncover & minimize barriers to learning Health Promoting Schools Conference 2006

5. Is there a crisis in education? Inequities in education Challenges to implementing inclusive education Poverty & socio-economic problems Teachers are overburdened Difficult to adapt curriculum Additional roles & responsibilities Feel unsupported Opposition to inclusive education Health Promoting Schools Conference 2006

6. How do we implement IE? • The question is: • How do we bridge the gap between policy and reality, bearing in mind the significant challenges to the implementation of an inclusive education system? Health Promoting Schools Conference 2006

7. The gap between policy and implementation Implementation of an inclusive education system GAP Policy: Vision of an inclusive education system Challenges to implementing inclusive education Health Promoting Schools Conference 2006

8. Using the health promoting schools framework Implementation of an inclusive education system GAP Policy: Vision of an inclusive education system Health promoting schools framework Challenges to implementing inclusive education Health Promoting Schools Conference 2006

9. Health promoting schools framework Based on WHO health promotion framework from the Ottawa Charter The health promoting schools framework Health Promoting Schools Conference 2006

10. Developing healthy school environment Developing healthy school policies Health promoting schools framework Developing healthy school –community network Developing healthy personal skills The health promoting schools framework Health Promoting Schools Conference 2006

11. Reorienting the education support services Developing healthy school environment Developing healthy school policies Health promoting schools framework Developing healthy school –community network Developing healthy personal skills The health promoting schools framework Health Promoting Schools Conference 2006

12. learning support teachers occupational therapists physiotherapists speech & language therapists psychologists nurses doctors social workers community-based support systems Parents & grandparents NGOs traditional healers community-based rehabilitation workers Education support services The health promoting schools framework Health Promoting Schools Conference 2006

13. What does ‘reorientation’ mean for the education support services? Preventive & developmental approach to the provision of support including the development of health promoting schools The health promoting schools framework Build district-based support teams

14. Healthy policy • Developing school policy that supports and promotes well-being including: • Access to school • Access to education support services • Access to assistive devices • Involvement of all learners in physical activity • Prevention of sports injuries • Accessible grounds, classrooms, toilets The health promoting schools framework Health Promoting Schools Conference 2006

15. Healthy environment • Creating a safe & supportive teaching & learning environment • physical environment of the school • classroom environment • psychosocial environment • Discrimination: disability, social class, race, gender • Self-esteem The health promoting schools framework Health Promoting Schools Conference 2006

16. School – Community network • Strengthening community action & building the network between the school & the community • Developing school – parents relationship • Partnership • Advocacy groups (DICAG) • Identifying social determinants of health in community The health promoting schools framework Health Promoting Schools Conference 2006

17. Personal skills • Developing personal skills of all in the school community • Learners • Teachers • Non-teaching staff • Parents •  self-esteem & empowerment The health promoting schools framework Health Promoting Schools Conference 2006

18. Education support services Inclusive education system Whole school development Inclusive & health promoting schools framework The health promoting schools framework Support from district-based support team

19. Medical model Focus: normalise the individual learner Direct support Focus on individuals Health promoting model Focus: adapt environment to enable learner to participate in school & society Indirect support teachers & parents Focus on groups/population Medical model  Health promoting model The health promoting schools framework Health Promoting Schools Conference 2006

20. Shift from direct  indirect support support services need to move from a focus on individual learners to support for teachers and the system so teachers can respond to the needs of learners The health promoting schools framework Health Promoting Schools Conference 2006

21. Education support service is inequitable • Public vs. private sector • Rural vs. urban areas • Provincial differences • Support from tertiary institutions The health promoting schools framework Health Promoting Schools Conference 2006

22. Central Metropole EMDC (20%) 7 34 72 East Metropole EMDC (9%) North Metropole EMDC (20%) 26 South Metropole EMDC (25%) Breede River/Overberg EMDC (7%) 26 33 South Cape/Karoo EMDC (7%) Westcoast/Wineland EMDC (10%) Unknown (2%) 86 70 Therapists working with children in Western Cape per education district 350 Occupational therapists, physiotherapists and speech & language therapists EMDC=Education, Management and Development Centre 74% of therapists are in Cape Metropole (urban areas) The health promoting schools framework 75% of therapists work in private practice Health Promoting Schools Conference 2006

23. Way forward: Teamwork • Within each education district • District-based support team • Multidisciplinary • Multisectoral • Education sector • Health sector • Social Development • Community people & organisations • Collaborative & partnerships The health promoting schools framework Health Promoting Schools Conference 2006

24. New health promoting role of district-based support team • Consultant-mentor for learner, teacher and parent • Understand purpose of support • Balance direct & indirect support • Part of interdisciplinary, intersectoral team • Healthy self-esteem • Team to support one another • A health promoting team The health promoting schools framework Health Promoting Schools Conference 2006

25. Measuring effective support? • Indicators? • What is the impact on learning? • Is the outcome empowering for the learners, teachers, parents? • Has the support been health promoting? The health promoting schools framework Health Promoting Schools Conference 2006

26. Health promoting schools framework • The health promoting schools framework is an appropriate comprehensive approach to providing appropriate support to the school system, to the teachers, learners, and their parents • All in the district-based support team need competencies to provide support using this framework The health promoting schools framework Health Promoting Schools Conference 2006

27. I am a learner with a disabilityI am a learner who is HIV+ I also have the right to support which will enable me to learn The health promoting schools framework Health Promoting Schools Conference 2006

28. The health promoting schools framework Health Promoting Schools Conference 2006

29. I am asking you … • I am asking you, the district-based support team, to provide me with support to enable me to learn at school • I need you to develop healthy policies & the inclusion of the health promoting schools framework in the policy documents of the Departments of Education, Health and Social Development • I need you to use the health promoting schools framework The health promoting schools framework Health Promoting Schools Conference 2006

30. I need your support … • I need you to help build a healthy physical and psychosocial environment at my school and in my local community • I need you to support me so I can learn and develop my knowledge and skills • I need you to support teachers, developing the links between the school and my parents and my community to enable me to be included in society The health promoting schools framework Health Promoting Schools Conference 2006

31. The health promoting schools framework Health Promoting Schools Conference 2006

32. Health Promoting Schools Conference 2006 pstruthers@uwc.ac.za The health promoting schools framework Health Promoting Schools Conference 2006