Young people across Europe face a variety of challenges which were hard to imagine when their parents were their age. In order to help student’s face these challenges schools have increasingly recognised the importance of providing PSHE; personal, social, health and economic education. However, these topics are broad are likely to differ with educational context and students of differing age. In this project we aim carry out a student led investigation of how PSHE is delivered in schools across Europe covering the topics of: citizenship, interpersonal skills, health and well being, aspiration and managing personal and social finance. This will lead to a 'mini summit' of pupils and teachers to debate and resolve the wants and needs of students in PSHE as well as lead to resolutions on this to be delivered to schools and local education authorities. Our findings will be used to develop materials appropriate to delivering PSHE, in a European context, what we call: EPSHE. Currently, PSHE in schools is delivered in a ‘top down’ process. Adults decide what is important to impart to students rather than what students might consider to be most relevant and useful to them. At the start of the project will carryout a survey of the views of pupils in the partner schools and their parents to learn their wants and needs from PSHE. With this in place, students in partner schools will investigate PSHE delivery and content first, in their own schools then in the other schools in the partnership. These investigations will include online and face meetings. At the same time materials will be developed, based on the findings of materials best suited to the wants and needs of parents and students. Ultimately, students and staff will come together in a student mini-conference to debate PSHE delivery and decide resolutions for improvement to be put forward to teachers and education authorities. During the course of the project teacher training visits will be made between partner schools so that participating teachers can carry out training not only in the delivery of PSHE, but teaching and school management in general. This project aims to increase the profile of PSHE delivery in schools in Europe, both within schools and by engaging parents the local community. Pupils and teachers will work together to generate materials better suited to needs of students. In so doing this they will increase their perspective of these topics on a European scale and develop materials which will place what is normally a topic considering parochial issues on a pan European footing.
The objectives of this project were to a) determine how PSHE is delivered in schools across Europe, b) explore the wants and needs of students as well as their parents with respect to PSHE, c) have students investigate PSHE delivery first, in their own schools, second in partners schools, d) use the knowledge generated from these investigations to devise materials to deliver PSHE in a meaningful way, e) bring the above mentioned points together in a student-led mini-conference to debate PSHE delivery and prepare resolutions for improvement in the delivery of the topics of PSHE to be put forward to teachers and education authorities in the partner countries.
Young people across Europe face a variety of challenges which were hard to imagine when their parents were their age. Recognition of this has led to governments and education authorities increasing the priority of PSHE to assist students in facing these challenges. By its very nature PSHE; personal, social, health education are broad topics and likely to differ in differing educational context with students of differing age. Likewise, delivery of PSHE content in schools can differ. Rarely does it take place in dedicated lessons. Rather, topics may be integrated into subject specific lessons such as science or maths. On the other hand PSHE topics may be discussed during periods of pastoral care, or during special school days dedicated to the topic. The approaches of what and how to deliver as PSHE in schools is very much ‘top down’. Adults decide what is important to impart to students rather than students having the opportunity to consider what might be most relevant and useful to them. The aim of this project was to assess how PSHE is delivered in partner schools and determine ways of improving this so that is is relevant to students needs and requirements.