Iris Kummeling (Healthy School manager), Iris Botermans (project officer) and Nienke van Reijen (Professionalisation project manager) spoke with the group of students on behalf of Healthy School. The aim of the conversation was to actively involve them in thinking about the role of schools and students themselves. This provided Healthy School with valuable input for any future policy development, as well as insight into students’ views on important topics.

During the conversation, questions were raised such as:

  • Who is responsible for students’ health and well-being: parents or the school?
  • How do students view all the health information on social media?

All students agree that it is important for schools to pay attention to health and well-being. While some students believe that responsibility for these topics initially lies with parents, they are also quick to point out that not everyone receives this guidance at home. That is why the group believes that schools nevertheless have a very important role to play. Parents and schools should also work together.

More frequent conversations

The group considers the format of lessons on health issues to be very important. Traditional lessons on this subject often have the opposite effect and lead students to disengage. They see having conversations as a better approach, for example by ensuring that the topics connect with their daily lives and current events. Ideally, knowledge should then be linked to their own experiences and questions.

Many of these experiences also take place on social media, where students receive a great deal of information about health and food. The students indicate that it is difficult to assess which information is reliable, and they see an important role for schools here. For example, schools can focus on developing critical thinking skills and providing accurate information themselves. They can also promote healthy eating habits in the cafeteria and make healthy options cheaper.

Addressing the topics more often

When it comes to personal health issues, such as starting to vape or mental health problems, students say that they experience a high threshold when discussing these matters with adults. Even when a mentor or care team is available, taking this step does not come naturally. Students would appreciate it if these topics were addressed more often and in a more accessible way in class, and if there were opportunities to discuss them with one another. Students also highlighted the importance of role-model behaviour among education professionals. At schools where health is an important topic, they sometimes see contradictions, such as teachers who smoke or an unhealthy selection in the staff room. This undermines the credibility of the policy. The school environment also plays a role. Students indicate that healthy products in the school cafeteria are often relatively expensive, making it more difficult to make healthy choices.

Active involvement in decision-making

The importance of student participation was also clearly emphasised. Students do not want to be involved only as a target group, but also as active contributors and co-creators. They indicated that schools could involve them more by, for example, actively engaging the student council and developing initiatives together. Organising creative activities, such as competitions or health-related challenges, was mentioned as an accessible and motivating way to increase engagement.

At the same time, they note that topics such as sleep deprivation, mental health and substance use are already visibly present within the school. Nevertheless, they still lack knowledge about these issues. Students are increasingly realising how much too little sleep affects their performance. They hear about other students who stay up all night studying during exam week, even though they know this is unhealthy.

They also indicate that school-related stress leads to too little sleep. Few schools yet pay attention to the topic of sleep, but students clearly see it as an important subject that deserves structural attention.

Finally, it was notable that students describe their generation as highly interested in health, partly under the influence of social media. They see this as an opportunity for schools and find it striking that there are still schools that do not pay structural attention to this.

Seven recommendations from the Student Council

Following the informative conversation, seven recommendations were formulated with input from the students.

  • Harness this generation’s intrinsic motivation - Students indicate that health is a current and important topic. Respond to this and make use of their interest and engagement to continue building a healthy school environment together.
  • Make health and well-being a structural part of education - Do not wait until problems arise, but integrate topics such as mental health, sleep and substance use into the curriculum. Ensure that these are not isolated projects, but part of a continuous learning pathway.
  • Align with students’ daily lives - Avoid traditional, teacher-centred lessons. Start with what concerns students and engage in conversation. Then connect knowledge and skills to this, so that it remains relevant and recognisable.
  • Lower the threshold for asking for help - Make support more visible and accessible. Discuss in class that it is normal to seek help and create safe moments when students can share their concerns.
  • Ensure credible role-model behaviour - Education professionals play an important role as role models. Ensure that behaviour and policy regarding health are aligned, so that the message comes across as authentic.
  • Make the healthy choice the easy choice - Provide an appealing and affordable range of healthy products in the school cafeteria. Price and availability have a direct influence on students’ behaviour.
  • Actively promote student participation - Involve students in developing and implementing policy. Work together with the student council and organise interactive initiatives such as health-related challenges, campaigns or competitions.