Health education classes do not enjoy advanced attendance / Source: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Aike 4.0 global license, photo. DobrislavaThe imagination was utopian – thanks to wellness education young people were to learn crucial wellness issues. However, the expectations of the Ministry of National Education were rapidly verified. Parents began massing their children out of this optional subject. Why have so many people resigned? What are the consequences of being optional? What, in addition to sexual education, whose issue constantly emphasizes opposition, has wellness education to offer?
Only 8% of students in the 3rd grade of Poznan advanced schools participate in wellness education classes. In the lower classes of statistics, they are not optimistic either. The subject, which is to teach about matters straight concerning each of us, has become the subject of disputes and quarrels. It inspires emotions not only among children and young people who can absorb this knowledge, but besides among parents, educators and, above all, politicians who are happy to talk about it. On the Internet, it became a mess erstwhile president Karol Nawrocki reported that he discharged his boy from wellness education. There was no deficiency of speculation that Rafał Trzaskowski, who denied them on the X platform, would decide on a akin step.
On the another hand, Bartłomiej Wróblewski, a PiS MP, held a press conference in early September during which he expressed his opposition to the thought of introducing wellness education. In his opinion, the fresh subject is incompatible with Article 48 of the Polish Constitution, which states: “Parents have the right to rise children according to their own beliefs. This upbringing should take into account the degree of maturity of the child, as well as the freedom of his conscience and religion and his beliefs." According to the Member, all the essential content could be taught as part of biology lessons. The educational gap in Poland was symbolized by politicians invited to the ,,political morning” programme on TVP Info. Andrzej Costowniak (PiS), Marcin Karpiński (New Left) and Ireneusz Raś (Secretary of State in the Ministry of athletics and Tourism) were incapable to answer a simple question from the writer about the difference between the period and ovulation. Adrian Witczak (KO) – a biology teacher, was fired from the answer. All of this contributed to the turnout defeat of wellness education. In the course of heated discussions, we have already seen what politicians think about the legitimacy of the fresh subject. We decided to see what it looked like from the position of the curious ones themselves: the teacher of this subject; the parent whose kid participates in the classes and the father who discharged his boy from them. That's why we interviewed them.
Barbara Nowacka has been managing the Ministry of Education since December 2023 / Source: Chancellery of the Prime MinisterThe eye of a teacher
We asked Mrs Karolina, a teacher in primary and industrial schools who had previously taught physical education about the scope and attitude to the subject.
What is the wellness education curriculum about? How is it different from the erstwhile – besides optional – upbringing for household life?
– First of all, this subject has, in my opinion, more material background than it had previously had in the family. Here we have circumstantial topics that young people are worth taking up. Of course, this does not mean that if the students themselves propose a reasonable subject for this subject, we will not usage it. However, there is simply a pattern, a template that allowed us to prepare ourselves to conduct these activities in the most accessible way for young people. And what I think is peculiarly crucial – these textbooks on which we are based are not old-fashioned. They were developed by specialists in their fields to make it a truly crucial and solid information dose for contemporary children and teenagers.
What topics will be discussed during these classes, what can students carry out?
– My goal, as a teacher of this subject, is to teach young people how to live healthy lives. We live in a time erstwhile we truly have plenty of opportunities to have a appropriate diet or to practice many different sports, and we frequently do not take advantage of it. We besides forget about regular testing. I would like the fresh generation to have the chance to grow up with good habits developed, both on nutrition, on physical activity and on prevention issues. All according to the principle: “in a healthy body a healthy spirit” and “better prevention than cure.”
What does attendance look like during your class? How does it decompose in different age groups?
– I teach this subject in primary and manufacture school. Interestingly, in the latter, attendance is higher than in simple school. Most children attend 4th grade – I think about half. Unfortunately, it is not even 25% of students in another classes. However, only individuals enrolled in the manufacture school.
What do you think has affected the advanced scale of leaving these classes?
– In 3 words: fear of the unknown. The Ministry of Education has done virtually no promotion of these activities, and let's not fool ourselves – parents who truly get acquainted with the basic programming of this subject are few. Even erstwhile trying to organize an information gathering for parents, their consequence was virtually zero. I think this political polarization has done its job, too. The rulers did not agree with the opposition, and this caused a wave of verbal pushes, which most of us are tired of.
The Ministry of National Education has a serious dilemma / Source: Source: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Aike 4.0 International, photograph by NauanDoubtful Competences
Lack of appropriate promotion, verbal push among politicians, fear of something unknown – these reasons sound very reasonable. Mr. Charles, who decided to leave wellness education preparing for his son's eighth grade exam, asked about his motivation.
Why did you decide to discharge your boy from wellness education? erstwhile did you make that decision?
– About my boy not attending this class, I decided a minute before the school year began. I've read the programming base. I don't think the full thought is bad, due to the fact that there are certain content there, which is not adequate in biology class, and which is useful knowledge. I am talking in peculiar about wellness and prevention. However, I believe that issues relating to sexuality are not something that should be discussed during class. I am not certain how the teacher will discuss these topics. Moreover, I do not know what the competence of the drivers is. A completely different conversation would be if specialists, specified as a nutritionist or a sexologist, came to the youth classes. The students would surely have more respect than for a teacher with whom they had a different subject, frequently not with respect to wellness education.
How late would these classes take place according to my son's lesson plan?
– Tuesday morning, first lesson hour. The minute my boy prepares for the eighth grade exam, all extra hr of sleep is on the weight of gold. There truly isn't adequate of all this work in the full plan. erstwhile an extra object appeared with an average substantive value, the choice whether the boy would go for it was simple.
What's the turnout in your son's class?
– Honestly, I'm not interested. I was not guided by the opinion of others. I was guided by the welfare of my own child.
Bricks for better change
Otherwise, Mrs. Martina is looking at the case, who decided that her daughter (who attended the 5th grade of simple school) would participate in optional classes. He believes that their introduction is simply a step towards good change.
Why did you decide to have your daughter take classes? erstwhile did you decide?
– I made a decision during my vacation. I've heard of the introduction of this novum before, and I've learned a small bit about what my daughter might find out. 1 of the main objectives is to encourage healthy living. My daughter, although she doesn't have a problem with obesity, she doesn't like physical activity unless we include finger-scrolling. I believe that possibly this class will be a brick for a better change in this direction. Oh, since he's in 5th grade, I uncertainty there's any another subjects going to be pedestal here.
How late does your daughter have this class on schedule?
– Friday afternoon. The daughter, fortunately, is in 5th grade, so the plan is not pushed adequate to make any large difference this 1 hr a week.
What does attendance look like in this class?
– As far as I know, it's a plus or minus half the class attends. However, it does not discourage my daughter, due to the fact that the teacher with whom she has classes chose a more expression of conversation with students than a strict lecture, as it usually happens.
Regardless of different opinions, 1 success of this subject is practically foregone – no change in education has caused specified intense discussion. Who knows, possibly wellness education will join even the list of “forbidden” topics at this year's Christmas table?
Julia ZYGMUNT
