A recent classroom initiative undertaken by some non-government schools in Perth to help combat obesity in its students has drawn attention to the role of schools in helping to manage student health. It also raises the question: does a school's duty of care extend to preventing obesity?

Australia's obesity epedemic is not a new societal issue.  The Department of Health reports that In Australia, more than 60% of adults and around 25% of children are classified as being overweight or obese.  As reported this week in the Sydney Morning Herald, the outcome of a recent British and Australian study showing a link between obesity in primary school students and an increased risk of developing asthma, further fuels the 'fat' issue in Australia and what is being done to prevent obesity in children.

Four Catholic schools in Perth, including Highgate's Sacred Heart Primary School (Sacred Heart), are doing their bit to improve the health of their students by offering alternative desks to offset the health risks from sitting too long as well as keeping students interested in class.

Sacred Heart Principal Chris Dunning is quoted in Perth Now as saying: 'we don’t have children’s desks anymore. They’re all small tables, high tables, benchtops, we also use bean bags, lounges, and ‘hokki’ stools that actually rock when the kids sit on them'.  Highgate will study the impact of its '21st century classrooms' on the health of its students.

In essence, by making the students 'uncomfortable' they're forced to move around more often, reducing the amount of time that they are in a sedentary position.

Recently, a British school become the first in Europe to teach students standing up. The exercise at Grove House Primary School in Bedford was part of a seven-week trial being run by medical researchers.  By requiring a select group of students to stand at special heightened desks for 230 minutes per week, that study aimed to assess the impact sitting for long periods of time has on concentration and health.

The steps being taken by schools in Australia and in Britain to change the way students are being taught in the classroom are admirable, but they also raise the issue of how far a school's duty of care extends in relation to managing their students' weight.

Arguably, forcing children to use unfamiliar equipment in the classroom could negatively affect their concentration and impact upon their learning.

Shouldn't a school's priority be on academic achievement, not weight management?

The various Departments of Education in Australian States and Territories do not legally require schools under their jurisdiction to actively manage the weight of their students.  Aside from voluntarily deciding whether or not to enforce the National Healthy School Canteen guidelines in their canteens, Australian schools, like Sacred Heart, can make their own decisions about how they fulfil their duty of care in this area.

As long as new teaching methods designed to improve student health do not undermine the standard of education being delivered, any weight management initiative shown by a school can only have a positive effect on its students.

Does your school implement measures to manage student weight?  Do you believe it's a school's role to reduce student obesity?