The Whole School Approach (WSA) hui provided an opportunity for schools and agencies to gain essential training designed to enhance their support for youth, with a strong emphasis on Youth Development. Tūturu is on a mission to bridge the gaps between the education and health sectors, fostering collaboration that ultimately benefits young people’s wellbeing. Education and health often provide differing yet equally valuable perspectives on supporting young people to lead healthy, successful lives. However, these perspectives often do not overlap.
Tūturu is dedicated to integrating the best practices, evidence-based tools, curriculum materials, and staff training from the health sector into schools, with the goal of promoting student hauora (wellbeing).
During the hui, Deputy Principal (Pastoral), Sue Porter from Otago Girls High School, (OGHS) shared the school’s innovative approach to vaping and their experience in offering vaping cessation support in collaboration with their Public Health Nurse, Jude Wall. In their presentation, Porter & Wall addressed a growing concern in schools: “We have legislation and education, but what about cessation? How can schools harness the expertise of their health nurse to offer cessation programmes for students who want to stop vaping?”
Their remarks resonated with the audience, highlighting the challenges schools face in dealing with vaping and the importance of supporting students in their journey toward cessation. Porter & Wall’s insights into OGHS’s approach sparked important conversations around how schools can better support students who wish to stop vaping, and the importance of providing resources for cessation. The session allowed educators to learn from OGHS’s experiences and gain insight into potential approaches that could be adopted in their own settings.
The latest vaping data reveals concerning trends, particularly among Māori and Pacific youth.
According to the ASH Year 10 Snapshot Survey, 21% of Māori youth vape daily, compared to 12% of Pacific youth and 5% of non-Māori/Pacific youth. New Zealand currently holds the highest rate of youth vaping among English-speaking countries, according to the International Tobacco Control Youth & Young Adult Survey.
Additionally, Tūturu staff members Mark Pickering and Kim Gotlieb led a session on “Reflective Listening,” a core technique of Motivational Interviewing. This approach, widely used in the health sector focuses on enhancing communication and fostering intrinsic motivation for change – particularly useful when working with young people.
Reflective Listening is a model used successfully in the youth alcohol & other drug (AOD) sector and is a good example of a health-based modality introduced into the education sector by Tūturu.
Mark Pickering explained, “Reflective Listening can really be a gamechanger. It provides a space for young people to feel heard and encourages them to grow their own motivations for change. We know that telling young people what to do is often not successful. Instead, Reflective Listening utilises empathy, which research shows when people experience empathy, they are much more likely to make positive changes.
Kim Gotlieb added, “At WSA hui, we’re strengthening connections between the education and health sectors to better support the hauora of young people. We bring expertise from the health sector that can be readily implemented in education. We are much stronger when we collaborate and have a shared understanding of Youth Development, and how we can work together to enhance this. It makes sense to share what we know works.”
The afternoon provided a platform for meaningful discussion, skill-building, and idea-sharing, all contributing to the overarching goal of ensuring that the wellbeing of young people is prioritised within both the education and health sectors.
Tūturu remains committed to offering these vital training opportunities, fostering a collaborative environment that benefits youth and equips educators and health professionals with the tools they need to make a lasting difference in young people’s lives.
As Tūturu continues its mission, the focus remains clear: to improve the wellbeing of youth by strengthening connections, sharing best practices, and ensuring that health and education work together for the benefit of all young people.
Sources:
ASH Year 10 Snapshot Survey (ASH NZ): https://www.ash.org.nz/ash_year_10
ITC Youth and Young Adult Tobacco and Vaping Survey: https://davidhammond.ca/projects/tobacco-vaping/itc-youth-tobacco-ecig/
- Kim Gotlieb
Kaihautu Tūturu & Tūturu Manager
