The Importance of Student Wellbeing

I have been told that success has limited worth without happiness. You could be the most successful person in the world, but it would lose significance if you’re unhappy. This is why student wellbeing is important. Schools that focus on teaching both short and long term goals, such as the significance of mental health, ensure that children will go on to live happily and learn to deal with stress and pressure. These are important life skills that need to be taught so everyone has the ability to learn and thrive.

Right now, many academic programs focus on short term goals such as mastering topics and skills by the end of the year. They neglect to teach the life skills that all students will need in the future. For example, learning to deal with stress at a young age can eliminate many problems later on. Student wellbeing increases academic achievement. In fact, the article, “Why is Wellbeing Important in Schools” states that, “inducing positive emotions (such as joyfulness, love, or appreciation) enlarges cognitive perspectives…make richer interpretations, and experience higher levels of creativity and productivity” (Bates, M. & Boren, D. M.). Students who feel happier learn and think better.

Focusing on wellbeing also helps students develop a love for the learning process. It helps students accept and move past failure, “…students with high levels of hope can make adaptive attributions and overcome failure by making corrections. Thus failure ceases to be a long-term detriment to their self-worth” (Bates, M. & Boren, D. M.). Failure is one of the biggest factors to kickstart the learning process. Students who use failure to grow learn best.

Today’s students will grow up to become future leaders. It’s important that they have the resources that they need to be successful in all stages of life. Prioritizing student wellbeing is the first step towards a brighter tomorrow.

Works Cited

Bates, M. & Boren, D. M. (2019). Assessing Wellbeing in Schools. EdTech Books. https://edtechbooks.org/wellbeing

Hossain, Saira et al. "What Constitutes Student Well-Being: A Scoping Review Of Students' Perspectives." Child indicators research vol. 16,2 (2023): 447-483. doi:10.1007/s12187-022-09990-w

Terada, Youki. "The Science Behind Student Stress." Edutopia, 24 Aug. 2018, www.edutopia.org/article/science-behind-student-stress/#:~:text=A%20new%20study%20finds%20that,for%20some%20it%20stays%20high. Accessed 18 July 2024.