1. Social and Emotional Learning The Heart of Education
Prof. Carmel Cefai
Centre for Resilience & Socio-Emotional Health
University of Malta

2. Need for Head & Heart in Education
Education needs to reflect the current realities and challenges faced by children and young people today, for it to remain valid and relevant to the lives of children in the 21st century.
It needs to go beyond simplistic performance indicators and academic achievement (cf. PISA) and become more engaged in the challenges faced by children today, helping in the formation of academically, socially and emotionally literate young people

3. From a life of tests to…
We need to prepare our children for the ‘tests of life’ rather than burdening them with a ‘life of tests’ (Elias, 2010)

4. Heart for Head
Durlack et al (2011): meta-analysis of over 200 studies of universal school based programmes from KG to secondary schools
SEL increased academic performance ~ SEL students scored significantly higher (11 points) on achievement tests when compared to peers not having SEL programs

5. Head + Heart
It is crucial that those who seek to promote academic learning and achievement and those who seek SEL, realise that they are actually ‘on the same side’
‘meta abilities’ for academic learning

6. Head without Heart
To continue privileging a narrow range of cognitive skills at the expense of a more useful and meaningful education, would be denying children the right to an adequate and quality education

7. Santander Declaration 2014
In response to the pressures from the PISA Standards
Online petition:
Cefai, C et al. (2014) From Pisa to Santander: A Statement on Children’s Growth and Wellbeing. International Journal of Emotional Education, 6 (2),

8. Santander Declaration
We believe that every child and young person has the right to a balanced, meaningful, holistic, creative and arts-rich education. In order to advance the above, we commit ourselves to promote the following:

9. That schools and early years settings provide a learning environment where academic, social and emotional education competences are in creative balance;
That schools and early years settings operate as learning and caring communities in which all students, teachers and parents have the opportunity to experience sustainability and wellbeing;
That educational and learning contexts consciously seek to strengthen students’ connectedness with themselves, others and the environment;
That social and emotional education be embedded in all initial teacher education and that practicing teachers and educators can access on-going professional education and support to continuously develop their relational and emotional competences;
That schools and early years settings have the autonomy and agency to determine their educational and social agenda according to their own respective cultures and contexts.

10. A whole school approach to SEL
Multicomponent
Multiyear
Multiintervention
Multipopulation
Well planned, implemented and evaluated
From Cefai, C and Cavioni, V. (2014) Social and Emotional Education in Primary School. Integrating Theory and Research into Practice. New York: Springer Publications

12. Teacher education
Classroom teachers’ perceived sense of competence and confidence in promoting SEL and mental health in school is relatively poor, particularly if initial teacher education in the area was limited or inadequate (eg. Askell-Williams & Cefai, 2014).
Askell-Williams, H & Cefai, C (2014) Australian and Maltese teachers' perspectives about their capabilities for mental health promotion in school settings. Teaching and Teacher Education, 40, 1-12

13. Teacher Education: areas
Teacher education in SEL needs to include
building healthy relationships with students
developing students’ social and emotional learning (self and social dimensions)
SEL programme implementation issues
Preventing and responding effectively to social, emotional and behaviour difficulties and mental health difficulties
working collaboratively with colleagues, professionals and parents in supporting students with SEBD and mental health difficulties

14. Teacher education Initial and continuing
Universal (SEL) and targeted (SEBD)
Universal: taught and caught
Preventing and responding to challenging behaviour and mental health difficulties
A transversal perspective, with all classroom teachers taking responsibility for students’ SEL, (does not exclude specialist teachers’ education)
Focused also on teacher’s own social and emotional competence, health and wellbeing

15. THANKS