Good Education and skills
At Public Health Wales, we recognise the importance of educational achievement as a fundamental building block for health and well-being. Education plays a vital role in increasing life expectancy and the number of years we spend in good health. Education influences our health through pathways such as employment opportunities, health literacy, health-related behaviours, and social support. Without access to good education, health inequalities can increase through intergenerational cycles of disadvantage.
In turn educational outcomes are influenced by:
- The physical and mental health of babies, children and young people: Health is foundational to learning and success in school.
- The health and well-being of parents and caregivers: A supportive family environment enhances a child’s ability to focus and perform.
- Trauma-informed schools: Schools that address the impacts of trauma provide more supportive learning environments.
- Engagement of parents with school staff and health services: ensuring active involvement in education and health
Public Health Wales is therefore committed to improving the health and well-being of babies, children and young people. Through various programmes, we aim to support better learning outcomes by addressing and preventing both physical and mental health needs. Our work ranges from providing health services, delivering educational programmes to policy advocacy.
While the connection between health and education is clear, evidencing the direct impact of Public Health Wales’ programmes on educational achievement can be challenging. Educational outcomes are influenced by many factors outside our control, making it difficult to establish causal links. However, our work improving health, fostering trauma-informed environments, and supporting family engagement creates conditions that enable better learning outcomes.
Factors affecting educational achievement in Wales - Participatory systems map