Pastoral Wellbeing
Valuing our differences
Helping children and young people respect differences nurtures an appreciation for learning in a diverse community. It also helps build inclusive communities, where everyone can feel a sense of belonging. This supports positive mental health and wellbeing.
Early learning services and schools are often the environments where children first become aware of differences in people. They can start to form opinions and attitudes about the differences they see. Such awareness also means children and young people may experience racism and prejudice in direct and indirect ways. This can have an impact on their social and emotional wellbeing, their learning and their social relationships. Their ideas about, and responses to, diversity are influenced by what they see and hear.
Racism and discrimination can have profoundly detrimental impacts on a person’s mental health and wellbeing. Intersecting identities can also compound challenges for children, young people and families. You can start to counter racism by promoting positive attitudes and actions towards diversity in your learning community. This includes identifying and changing practices that can discriminate against people from different racial and cultural backgrounds. Remember, racism is against the law under the Racial Discrimination Act 1975.
Be You is Australia’s national mental health and wellbeing in education initiative.