Polish School as a Place to Promote the Well-Being of Elementary Education Students
Abstract
The aim of the article is to show the conditions – located in the field of education – significant for the well-being of a child at an earlier school age. The subject of the analysis includes selected descriptions of the category of well-being, dilemmas of caring for well-being at school, and methods of promoting well-being in the culture of the school. The research issues undertaken are expressed in the questions: 1) What doubts arise when talking about the well-being of a child? What does caring for a child’s mental well-being in education mean for particular people? The considerations concern three areas. The first one presents a description of the category of well-being, and cites the results of research on the importance of school for the sense of well-being of children. The description of the school as a place supporting well-being is the subject of analyses in the second part of the text. Recognising the need to move away from ignoring the voice of children in supporting well-being, the assumptions of promoting the well-being of all school communities are presented. The third part is a description of the culture of the school as a place supporting the sense of well-being. The final part includes conclusions. Although children have different perceptions of what is important for well-being, their voices are often overlooked in discussions about well-being. In the context of student well-being, a participatory approach that supports the well-being of all school communities has been found to be valuable.
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