Creating an environment for emotional and social well-being : an important responsibility of a health-promoting and child friendly school

There is increasing recognition that health and educational outcomes are inextricably linked, and that the school can be an ideal setting through which to strive for both. A number of international efforts have been developed in the past decade to improve both learning and health through schools.
The school environment is one of the many determinants of school quality. WHO developed this document and its accompanying psycho-social profile (PSE) to help teachers, students and parents create a positive psycho-social climate in their schools as a means to improve school quality and the mental and physical well-being of young people. While it may be useful to district- and national-level staff who make decisions on behalf of local schools, it is primarily intended for school administrators, teachers, community leaders and members of school health teams.
The PSE profile questionnaire, the PSE profile scoring sheets and the worksheets for leading discussions presented here, are designed to help school personnel to assess qualities of the school environment that support social and emotional well-being. It is intended to be a starting point leading to awareness, discussion, and action by school personnel, students and parents. It will help them recognize and sustain those aspects of the school environment that support social and emotional well-being and improve those aspects that do not. It will also help school personnel consider ways to support positive changes in the school environment with school health policies, skills-based health education and school health services.