Health and well-being are no longer optional extras for schools — they are foundations for learning. As policymakers rethink what education must deliver in the 21st century, effective education policy must purposefully embed health and well-being across curricula, school systems, and community partnerships. This article presents a research-grounded, practical roadmap for integrating health and well-being into education policy so that learners, teachers and communities thrive.
Why health and well-being must be central to education policy
A growing body of research shows that mental and physical health directly affect learning, attendance, behaviour and long-term life chances. Whole-school approaches produce better outcomes than piecemeal interventions because they change the environment rather than only treating individual symptoms. International agencies now recommend that education systems adopt comprehensive, multi-level strategies that combine policy, curriculum, teacher support and links to health services. (dge.mec.pt)
When education policy explicitly prioritises well-being, resources follow. That enables sustained teacher professional development, school-level coordination, and the data systems needed to measure impact. In short: policy makes scalable, equitable action possible.
Core principles for embedding well-being into education policy
Before drafting or amending laws and regulations, policymakers should adopt a clear set of principles that guide design and implementation:
- Whole-school approach (systems thinking). Policies must encourage interventions that touch the curriculum, school climate, family engagement and community health services. Evidence shows multi-pillar whole-school models outperform isolated counselling programs. (dge.mec.pt)
- Prevention and promotion, not only reaction. Move from crisis response to prevention: teach social-emotional skills, resilience, and health literacy early and consistently.
- Equity and inclusion. Target resources to disadvantaged communities and remove barriers for learners with disabilities, migrants, and marginalized groups. OECD analysis highlights disparities in well-being that policy must address. (OECD)
- Teacher wellbeing and capacity. Teachers are frontline implementers — their training, workload and mental health must be part of policy design. Programs that ignore staff wellbeing falter.
- Evidence and data. Implement monitoring systems to track both learning and well-being outcomes so policy can be adjusted iteratively.
Policy levers that work (a practical menu)
Policymakers can use several concrete levers to embed well-being across the education system.
1. National standards and guidance documents
Issue national guidance that defines well-being goals, explicit competencies (e.g., social-emotional learning), and minimum service levels for school counselling and health services. The recent international guidelines for wellbeing and mental health at school are a model for policymakers wanting evidence-based checklists to adapt. (dge.mec.pt)
2. Curriculum integration
Make health and well-being part of core curricula, not an afterthought. That includes mental-health literacy, sexual and reproductive health, nutrition, physical education and digital wellbeing. Embed formative assessments and project work that let students practise skills in real contexts.
3. Teacher professional development
Mandate ongoing PD in social-emotional learning (SEL), trauma-informed pedagogy, and digital safety. PD should include in-service coaching, industry attachments with health providers, and time allocations within teachers’ workplans.
4. Funding and resource allocation
Ring-fence funds within education budgets for counselling, school nurses, safe facilities, and community outreach. Use equity-weighted financing so schools in disadvantaged areas receive proportionally more support.
5. Multi-sector partnerships
Formalise referral pathways between schools, primary health services, child protection and social services. Strong links between the education and health sectors reduce treatment gaps and help schools manage complex cases. World-class examples use memoranda of understanding and joint financing for school health programs. (World Health Organization)
6. School leadership and governance
Require each school to have a named wellbeing lead, a functioning school wellness committee, and an annual wellbeing plan linked to the district or national strategy. These governance steps create accountability and make it easier to coordinate responses.
Operational design: what a well-written education policy should include
A policy document that seeks to embed wellbeing should be readable, actionable, and modular. At minimum include:
- Clear vision and definitions (what “well-being” means in your context).
- Core competencies and learning outcomes for each level of education.
- Minimum service package (e.g., counselling hours per student, nurse access, safe spaces).
- Teacher training requirements and protected PD time.
- Financing model (national, subnational, public–private options).
- Data and metrics framework (see next section).
- Implementation timeline and phased roll-out plan.
- Legal and safeguarding framework to protect student privacy and ensure consent.
UNICEF and UNESCO have practical handbooks that ministries can adapt when drafting sector plans; these resources emphasise participatory planning with teachers, students and families. (UNICEF)
Measurement: what to track and why it matters
No policy is credible without metrics. Track a balanced mix of process and outcome indicators:
Process indicators
- Proportion of schools with a trained wellbeing lead.
- Counselling hours per 1,000 students.
- Number of teacher PD days on SEL.
- Existence of formal referral pathways to health services.
Outcome indicators
- Student self-reported wellbeing and social-emotional skills (surveys).
- Attendance and chronic absenteeism rates.
- School climate indicators (bullying incidents, perceived safety).
- Teacher retention and staff wellbeing scores.
Reliable data helps target resources and demonstrates impact; OECD recommends embedding wellbeing measures into national education indicators to align motivation and funding. (OECD)
Policy examples and promising innovations
- Football-based mentoring programs have shown measurable wellbeing gains for at-risk pupils, demonstrating that extracurricular, structured mentorship can be cost-effective at scale. This is a reminder that non-academic programs must be part of the policy toolbox. (The Guardian)
- Hub-and-spoke counselling models are being piloted in various systems to extend limited specialist resources across multiple schools (e.g., national and regional pilots launched by large boards). These models let a central team support smaller schools without full-time counsellors. Recent country pilots demonstrate improved access and standardisation. (The Times of India)
- Health-promoting schools frameworks combine curriculum, environment and community action to improve outcomes. WHO’s Health-Promoting Schools approach provides a tested blueprint for national policies seeking multisector integration. (World Health Organization)
Budgeting and sustainability: financing the shift
Embedding wellbeing requires predictable, multi-year funding. Consider:
- Dedicated budget lines for school health and mental-health services.
- Public–private partnerships for infrastructure (e.g., safe toilets, playgrounds, ICT for remote counselling).
- Reallocating within existing budgets by demonstrating cost savings (reduced absenteeism, better attainment). Evidence suggests high returns on investment when early prevention reduces later social and health costs.
Design financing with transparency and strong procurement rules to prevent fragmentation and ensure equity.
Implementation pitfalls and how to avoid them
Pitfall: Treating wellbeing as a short-term “project.”
Fix: Build policy into statutory plans and budgets with clear long-term timelines.
Pitfall: Overloading teachers without reducing other tasks.
Fix: Reform teacher workload and protect PD time; hire para-professionals where appropriate.
Pitfall: Failing to measure impact.
Fix: Build data collection from year one and use formative evaluation to refine programs.
Pitfall: Ignoring student voice.
Fix: Include students in policy design and governance — they are the best indicators of what works.
A short checklist for ministers and education planners
- Draft a wellbeing policy annex to the national education policy that includes definitions, competencies and minimum service packages.
- Allocate a protected budget line for counselling, staff PD and school health.
- Pilot hub-and-spoke counselling or partner with local health providers.
- Require every school to publish an annual wellbeing plan and outcome report.
- Integrate wellbeing metrics into the national education management information system (EMIS).
- Train school leaders and create a national cadre of wellbeing trainers.
Conclusion
Embedding health and well-being into education policy is a moral and practical necessity. When policy is clear, funded, and operationalized through teacher training, curriculum change and partnerships with health services, it produces better learning, fewer absences, and healthier communities. The tools and global guidance exist; the task now is political will and smart design that makes well-being as central to schooling as literacy and numeracy.
