Advocacy in Health Education

Advocacy can be defined as the use of tools and

activities that can draw attention to an issue, gain support for it, build consensus about it, and provide arguments that will sway decision makers and public opinion to back it.

• (Rice, 1999, cited in Nathan et al, 2002)

Advocacy

What do we as health educators need to advocate for?

• Maintenance of sufficient time allocation for health education within the school curriculum

• The maintenance of a valuable aspect of a programme that may be under threat

• Health education at a particular year level• More time for health education for a particular group • New courses for the Learning area• $$ for budget, increased resources• Teaching space• More staff

Advocacy - the challenge

• Articulate our beliefs about the benefits and unique nature of health education

• Be able to clearly state how health education articulates the vision of the NZC - confident, connected, actively involved, lifelong learners

• Make a clear case for health education to BOT, Senior Management, students, staff, and community

Advocacy - a starting point

Reflect on your department.

Is the profile of Health portrayed and articulated in a consistent and uniform way?

Does everyone “walk the talk”?

Advocacy

How do you ensure the messages you wish to have heard about Health Education will be clear and constant?

You may wish to consider the departmental Philosophy

Do you have a clear, shared philosophy that is easily articulated? Is it ‘on show’ – on the wall, visible to all students and others who visit your teaching area?

Advocacy

What is the profile of Health Education in your school? Would you like it to be different? Why? How do you wish your department /subject area to be viewed?

Formulate some strategies to spread the word and improve understanding about Health Education in your school. e.g. With other staff, to your own students, to parents, to decision makers

Raising the profile - possible strategies

Ensure representation on working committees - curriculum, assessment etcActively mix with a range of staff, discuss successes around Health EducationPublicly recognise students, teachers who have made a significant contribution to Health EducationUse student voice with their permission from NCEA assessments to profile the opportunities it has given them and what they have learntMeet the teacher evenings, ensure all teachers attend and have appointments with all studentsIf possible contribute to newsletters highlight the learning in Health Education, successes, how the subject develops the students’ study / career opportunitiesDo you have a webpage on the school site? Is it up to date.

Advocacy

There is a need to continually raise the profile of Health Education in a planned approach whilst at the same time having specific advocacy goals.

Advocacy

Where to from here?As a result of today and the conversations we have. Record on stickies

1. An immediate action you will take around advocacy for health

2. Something you intend to incorporate in your future departmental goals around advocacy

3. An advocacy tool you would like to be developed that would benefit most schools.

Acknowledgement

This power point has been adapted from information contained in the Physical Education New Zealand (PENZ) Advocacy Tool Kit.

cs.williams@auckland.co.nz goodyer@rangitoto.school.nz New Year 11 Health Education Learning Workbook

(written by Jenny Robertson and Rachel Dixon) is available ESA publications 0800 372 266 or 256 0831

mark@esa.co.nz An updated study guide will be out in term 2.