Why Trauma-Aware Education

You will notice we have changed the title of our event from “Trauma-Aware Schooling” to “Trauma-Aware Education”. This is because we have expanded our focus from just the schooling years – to education contexts that are accessed by learners across the lifespan (early childhood education and care, primary and secondary schooling, and higher education).

Trauma-aware education draws from various bodies of research, including neuroscience, describing and analysing the impact of complex trauma on developing young bodies and brains, to inform a more effective means to educate and support young learners who have lived through complex trauma. Trauma-aware education is also informed by findings from studies examining the longer-term health and mental health impacts of Adverse Childhood Experiences. It is now understood that addressing the potential impacts of early adversity across the life course is critical if societies and systems are to address many of their health and welfare expenses and concerns.

Trauma-aware education aims to help educators develop ways of understanding, believing, planning, and acting so that the harm that trauma exerts on the function of learners Is minimised or alleviated.  It aims to improve education and life outcomes not only for trauma-impacted learners, but also for their classmates.  It also aims to enhance the personal and professional wellbeing of those adults working hard to deliver inclusive education programs.