Positive Education

At Mount Carmel College we endeavour to explore the opportunities provided to enhance one’s wellbeing. Ultimately through the exploration of, but not limited to, such things as teaching how to identify and use character strengths, the function of the brain and the ideas around PERMAH we as staff, students and the wider College community are able to get a sense of how we can work towards a more positive sense of wellbeing.

So what is Positive Education?

Positive Education has been defined as "education for both traditional skills and for happiness" (Seligman et al., 2009).   Positive psychology itself has been defined as an umbrella term encompassing theory and research in relation to what makes life worth living (Noble & McGrath, 2008).  It blends academic learning with learning about our character development and how to enhance our wellbeing.  It explores the essence of grit, determination, growth mindset and mindfulness.   

Creating Flourishing Students  

So why do we persist with Positive Education as part of our focus on Wellbeing?

Historically schools have aimed for academic excellence as evidence for their success, today there are many schools that acknowledge the need for a more holistic approach that fosters the flourishing of the whole person (Huitt, 2010). Specifically, Positive Education seeks to combine the principles of positive psychology and best-practice - teaching to promote optimal development and flourishing in a school setting.  (Norrish, Williams, O’Connor & Robinson 2013) 

Research by Geelong Grammar and others indicates that if we can focus on wellbeing we will see the teaching of wellbeing to students, having a direct impact on academic success (Durlak, Weissberg, Dimnicki, Taylor and Schellinger 2011).  Also the presence in our lives of positive emotions, engagement, relationships, a sense of meaning and accomplishment and looking after our physical health through the teachings of Martin Seligman’s PERMA(H) framework allows us as a community to understand the ‘what’ and the ‘why’ of Positive Education and hence the ‘what’ and ‘why’ of improved wellbeing.