Gallery Presentation International Positive Psychology Association 7th IPPA World Congress 2021

Positive Education in Australia - An Overview (#333)

Warren Symonds 1
  1. Department for Education South Australia, Mount Barker, SOUTH AUSTRALIA, Australia

Established in 2014, the Positive Education Schools Association (PESA) is Australia’s national Positive Education peak body, serving members across Australia and internationally, engaging stakeholders, equipping members with quality resources, and facilitating collaboration. 

Arguably, Australia is a world leader in the field of Positive Education. Indeed, at the PESA National Conference in April 2018, Dr Martin Seligman noted that Australia is 5-10 years ahead of the rest of the world.

Positive Education is about wellbeing for all. It teaches the skills required to thrive, as well as the tools to develop resilience, optimism, emotional stability, and self-efficacy in individuals. It focusses on optimal human flourishing. 

This presentation will share an overview of Positive Education in Australia leading up to the COVID pandemic, and share some examples of the measures schools have taken to support the wellbeing of their students in 2020.

  • Keywords: Achievement