Rhea Barber Acting Head of Year
THE SIGNIFICANCE
of social and emotional learning in our current climate Young people are facing increasingly uncertain and challenging times. The global coronavirus pandemic has led to a decline in their wellbeing and their ability to cope with stress. The Headspace 2020 National Youth Mental Health Survey, conducted over May and June when much of the country was in lockdown, found that ‘rates of psychological distress remain high among Australian young people, with one in three reporting high or very high levels of distress’ (Headspace 2020). Significantly, the survey found that ‘one in two young people were unable to carry out their daily activities due to a decline in wellbeing, up from two in five in 2018’ (Headspace 2020). Similarly, the Mission Australia 2020 Youth Health Survey surveyed 25,800 young people aged 15 to 19 years. Respondents reported coping with stress and mental health as their top two personal concerns (Mission Australia 2020).
SUNATA
There is no better time than now to stress the importance of social and emotional learning (SEL) for our students. It is an integral part of education and students’ development. SEL is the process of acquiring and applying the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities. Students learn to manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals. They learn how to feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions (CASEL 2020). The SEL framework encompasses five core competencies: self-awareness, selfmanagement, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making (CASEL 2020). The framework was developed by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) in 1994. If social and emotional wellbeing is vital for academic success, then SEL must walk alongside the teaching and learning of curriculum content and the pursuit of academic excellence. In this current climate, you could argue that SEL for our adolescent students should be the foundation of our classrooms in secondary schools, with the content driven learning following.
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The benefits of SEL are significant. Through the process of SEL, students develop greater self-awareness, learn self-
control, and improve essential interpersonal skills. Social and emotional competence enables students to cope with everyday challenges and improves learning and wellbeing. SEL develops skills to nurture a positive sense of self, promote respectful relationships, foster academic success, manage emotions, behaviours and interactions with others (NSW Department of Education 2020). Decades of CASEL research indicates improved social and emotional skills in students, improved attitudes, relationships, academic performance, and perceptions of school (CASEL 2020). Research also suggests a decline in students’ anxiety, behaviour issues, and substance use (CASEL 2020). An analysis by Durlak et al. (2011) of 213 studies of SEL in schools indicated that ‘students receiving quality SEL instruction demonstrated better academic performance, improved attitudes and behaviours, greater motivation to learn, deeper commitment to school, increased time devoted to schoolwork, and better classroom behaviour’. There was a decrease in disruptive class behaviour and disciplinary referrals, reduced emotional distress and fewer reports of student depression, anxiety, stress, and social withdrawal. We know these skills are crucial for the healthy growth and development of our students, but have we lost sight of these key competencies and their immense benefits for our older students in our pursuit of academic excellence? SEL is a key component of the Personal and Social Capability in the Australian Curriculum F-10 as students learn to understand themselves and others, and manage their relationships, lives, work and learning more effectively (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA] n.d.). However, the implementation of SEL needs to shift away from an intensive focus in the younger years of schooling and into all areas of a young person’s schooling life, with a renewed focus and vigour in the senior years of schooling. CASEL believes ‘it is most beneficial to integrate SEL throughout the school’s academic curricula and culture, across the broader contexts of school-wide practices and policies, and through ongoing collaboration with families and community organisations.
