A Preview of How Health and Education Interact to Influence the Course of a Child’s Development

Abstract

A child’s state of health, both physical and emotional, influences their readiness for school and their level of school attendance. It also exerts considerable influence on their ability to learn and participate in activities when at school. These factors influence a child’s capacity to benefit from education. Over time, children with unresolved social, emotional or physical health issues accumulate risk of not benefitting from education and leaving school early. This then has a reciprocal effect on their health in adulthood, as there is a consistent association between educational attainment and better outcomes across a range of health measures. This interaction between health and education during the course of a child’s development has important implications for policy and practice in both spheres. Effective health-enhancing measures in early childhood and during schooling are likely to benefit educational outcomes, and in turn, better educational outcomes are likely to produce healthier behaviour into adulthood and better health outcomes over the life course. The chapters in this book examine various aspects of this nexus and their influence on both the individual child and the community.