Our definition of child and student wellbeing:
A state where learners feel:
- loved, safe and valued
- have access to material basics
- have their physical, mental and emotional needs met
- are learning and participating
- have a positive sense of culture and identity.
What does the department do to support child and student wellbeing?
The department’s Child and Student Wellbeing Strategy underpins our current and future efforts to keep children and young people safe, well and engaged in learning, across all of our learning environments and adopts the six ARACY wellbeing domains.
The Strategy commits to:
- improved child and student wellbeing in the voice of the learner, linked to improved learning outcomes
- a common understanding of the impact of wellbeing on learning and a shared purpose for improving wellbeing
- valid and reliable data to measure improvement in child and student wellbeing to inform future effort and planning
- stronger and more consistent alignment of agency effort to improve child and student wellbeing
- resource allocation and support informed by wellbeing evidence and data.
What is the department’s Student Wellbeing and Engagement Survey?
The Student Wellbeing and Engagement Survey (SWES) is an annual survey completed by students in all eligible Tasmanian government schools.
Introduced in 2018, the Survey is now embedded as an annual opportunity to understand student wellbeing across Tasmania. At a system level, this data is routinely informing new and existing initiatives, while schools are being supported to understand their data and use it to inform their priorities, with school staff accessing professional learning opportunities and resources to understand the state-wide data and share learnings.
Why does the department capture measures of child and student wellbeing?
DECYP recognises the impact of wellbeing on educational attainment and the subsequent connection to life outcomes for young Tasmanians. A strong sense of wellbeing enables students to explore, experiment and actively engage in their learning environment with confidence and optimism.
Prior to implementing the SWES, the department had limited robust, coordinated, and consistent data on learner wellbeing to inform planning and effort.
Where can I find the results of the SWES?
Reports and infographics are available in our annual data section for student wellbeing and school satisfaction.
How does the department safeguard students’ personal information and anonymity when participating in the SWES?
We take measures to guarantee that students’ personal information and their identities remain anonymous when participating in the survey. In line with this commitment, data is not reported for groups of less than five students to protect their confidentiality.
How can researchers find out more about accessing and using the department’s SWES data?
Data, Systems and Insights (DSI) coordinates all applications to conduct research in government schools in Tasmania, how to access publicly available education data, and how to apply for access to non-publicly available data held by the department. Please refer to Research in Government Schools for further information.
If you have any more questions, please talk to your school, or email the Child and Youth Wellbeing Unit at wellbeing.unit@decyp.tas.gov.au.