Student Wellbeing

At St John Vianney we explicitly teach and learn about the rights and needs of others. Social justice is about ensuring everyone has equal access to opportunities, resources, and fair treatment in society. Mental health and social justice are closely linked, especially in education. Schools play a key role in shaping students' well-being and future opportunities.

Many schools are working to address these issues by adding mental health services and teaching about social justice. This helps students cope with stress and builds a more caring school community.

Social justice aims to remove barriers to equal opportunities. For example:

• If a building only has stairs, adding a ramp does not give wheelchair users an advantage—it gives them the same access everyone else already has.
• When schools provide free lunch programs, they do not give poor students special treatment—they ensure that all students can focus on learning without hunger as a barrier.
• When workplaces provide language interpretation services, they do not favor non-English speakers—they enable all qualified people to contribute their skills equally.

Social justice works to identify and correct systemic barriers that prevent equal participation in society. These barriers include:

• Limited access to quality education
• Discrimination in housing or employment
• Lack of accessible healthcare
• Economic inequalities
• Language barriers

• Physical accessibility issues

   

The goal is to create a society where everyone has a fair chance to succeed based on their abilities and efforts, not their background or circumstances. This benefits everyone by:

• Creating a more productive society
• Reducing poverty and its associated costs
• Increasing innovation through diverse perspectives
• Building stronger communities

• Promoting social stability

   

Jenny Willmott

Deputy Principal and Student Wellbeing