Links between school buildings and the wellbeing of students and education professionals. What’s happening in the Australian context?

This is the English version of the paper published in French as part of the proceedings for the International Comparison Conference of the Cnesco—2023. For the French version, see page 51 of the link under Related Materials.

Abstract

Support for the health and wellbeing of school students[1] and education professionals[2] is increasingly recognised as critically important to achieving education goals. Indeed, the World Health Organization’s Health Promoting Schools program strives to increase schools' capacity to promote healthy settings for living, learning, and working (WHO, 2023). Built environments have an important role to play in this context. School buildings can enable or constrain the provision of healthy environments for teaching and learning through the indoor environmental qualities (IEQ) they offer users (i.e., access to natural/artificial light, good air quality, thermal comfort, and conducive acoustic conditions) and the way their designs mediate the delivery of health and wellbeing programs and services – including to students, teachers, and other members of local communities. This research paper highlights some of Australia's current discourses and research activities that address the role of school buildings in fostering the education, health, and wellbeing of children, teenagers, teachers, support staff, families, carers, and other members of local communities. School facilities with a wellbeing focus are increasingly being developed in parts of Australia, particularly in low socio-economic areas where the social networks and trusted relationships that tend to exist around schools can be leveraged to support child and community development.