Sberbank's 'Investment in the Future' Charitable Foundation Co-Arranged a Round Table at the 9th International Forum on Teacher Education in Kazan

On 24–26 May 2023, already 9th International Forum on Teacher Education took place in Kazan; this landmark event for the teachers' community brought together participants from Russia, near and far abroad countries. As part of this event, Sberbank's 'Investment in the Future' Charitable Foundation and the UNESCO Institute for Information Technology arranged a round table on 'Education for Health, Education for Psychological Well-Being: Pooling Approaches'.

Peter Polozhevets, Executive Director of the 'Investment in the Future' Foundation, moderated the round table discussions.

The round table was held in the context of the announced IFTE headline topic: 'Psychology of Education Environment Subjects Development: Theories and Practices of Maintaining and Supporting Psychological Well-Being.' The discussion touched upon the key factors and tools for strengthening the health and well-being of children and adolescents in contemporary school, taking international recommendations and practices from Russia, Belarus, Armenia, and Kazakhstan as an example.

Representatives of UNESCO, WHO, foreign and Russian educational institutions took part in the round table. They reviewed the key UN strategies, international guidelines and global data on the health and well-being of schoolchildren, and discussed approaches to creating and maintaining a healthy, inclusive and safe learning environment in educational institutions.

In his report on 'The role of school in preserving and reinforcing the health of children and adolescents. Global Health Reinforcement Standards for Schools', Dr. Venkatraman Chandra-Mouli, Head of WHO Adolescent Health Department, noted: 'We need to develop key skills in adolescents so that they can gain better control of themselves and their lives. School education should include provision of information, medical services and advice, building of a safe, trusting, and beneficial environment in which children will feel at ease. This task is not for the family only, but also for school, teachers, celebrities, politicians, managers.'

Mary Guinn Delaney, Senior Specialist, Education in Health, UNESCO, presented a report on 'Safe, inclusive and effective learning environment for all that promotes building knowledge, personal and social skills for life and health preservation', noting: 'Health and well-being (physical and mental) is something more than not being ill or prevention of risks. it is about what children will be like as they enter the adult life, whether they will cope with problems and build future for themselves. Schools and other educational institutions can be the place to solve issues of mental health and psycho-social well-being of children and adolescents. Our goal is to build a beneficial learning environment in which all students and teachers will feel that they are understood, supported, and valued. This is important, possible and achievable.'

Elena Kazakova, Principal of the Institute of Education Sciences of the St. Petersburg State University, spoke on 'National priorities in educators' training based on a personalized approach to and psychological support of students,' underscoring that: 'The main priority of school education is a functional learning environment. On many occasions, we witnessed examples of how a negative school environment impacts the child's health. The overall atmosphere affects not only productive activity at school but the condition of children generally. It takes a whole country to bring up a child. We therefore should entrust education, as far as health and well-being is concerned, not only to school, but also to parents, to the social environment surrounding children. We must join efforts to make the child the subject of well-being, teach them to take care of themselves and their health. Then we will be able to nurture the culture of healthy living in the next generation.'

Elena Diryugina, Leader of the 'Methodology and Advanced Research' stream at Sberbank's 'Investment in the Future' Charitable Foundation, gave a detailed account of the research undertaken within the framework of the Personality Potential Development Program and aimed at the identification of key factors and characteristics of the education environment and the educator's activity that affect each child's success and psychological well-being, both presently and in the future, in the adult life.

Tigran Epoyan, UNESCO Regional Advisor (Education and Health). spoke about how health and well-being educational programs are progressing in Eastern Europe and Central Asia countries and shared the experience of producing animation on healthy living topics jointly with the @nowchpok YouTube channel.

Vitaly Nikonovich, a UNESCO expert and a social care and educational design professional, prepared a report on personality growth and healthy living trainings that were recently held in the Republic of Belarus. The eduhub.pro platform that engages Vitaly as an expert regularly delivers online courses and webinars for professionals who work with adolescents and their parents.

Almagul Muhamedhanova, Associate Professor, Chief Researcher of the National Academy of Education named after Y. Altynsarin, Kazakhstan, shared information on the 'Global Competencies' course designed for learning ethics and etiquette, safe living practices, patriotism, etc.

Aigul Rakizhanova, Senior Researcher at the Astana Methodology Center, Kazakhstan, took up the story about the 'Global Competencies' course. Within the context of the range of topics represented by the course, she told about the videos for healthy living classes, and about the teachers' guide that helps to introduce this teaching format into the tuition process with a view to facilitate discussion of topics relevant for adolescents.

Marina Melkumova, a healthy living expert, the Institute of Child and Adolescent Health, Armenia, described how healthy living lessons are delivered in Armenia, and how this standard affects secondary and high school students.

All participants were of one mind: investments in health and well-being pay back not only 'here and now' but in the longer term, too. Taking care of oneself, one's health and well-being is one of the core ideas that needs to be communicated to modern schoolchildren. Implementation of any programs designed to teach children healthy living requires collaboration among diverse education system subjects: the teachers, the learners and their families. A holistic approach as would take into account both the physical health and the psychological well-being of learners may be the most effective way of utilizing available resources and may help accomplish goals.

Peter Polozhevets, Executive Director of the 'Investment исполнительный in the Future' Foundation:
'Building of knowledge, motivation and skills for a safe and healthy lifestyle in students is an important objective of contemporary education. Investment in health and well-being increases the likelihood that modern schoolchildren will grow into healthier, more productive adults, which will have effects on the next generation as well. Often, programs that focus on physical health and psychological well-being are considered and implemented separately. We however would like to highlight the complementary nature of their goals, approaches and implementation conditions. Psychological well-being acts as a buffer that keeps somatic and mental diseases at bay and lays the foundation for conscious and sustainable adherence to healthy lifestyles. This is why our Foundation's activity focuses, among other things, on enabling as many children as possible to learn vital skills as much as academic sciences.'

эксперт
Peter Polozhevets Executive Director of the 'Investment исполнительный in the Future' Foundation

'Building of knowledge, motivation and skills for a safe and healthy lifestyle in students is an important objective of contemporary education. Investment in health and well-being increases the likelihood that modern schoolchildren will grow into healthier, more productive adults, which will have effects on the next generation as well. Often, programs that focus on physical health and psychological well-being are considered and implemented separately. We however would like to highlight the complementary nature of their goals, approaches and implementation conditions. Psychological well-being acts as a buffer that keeps somatic and mental diseases at bay and lays the foundation for conscious and sustainable adherence to healthy lifestyles. This is why our Foundation's activity focuses, among other things, on enabling as many children as possible to learn vital skills as much as academic sciences.'

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