- What is the Student Wellness and Education Survey?
- What is the purpose of this survey?
- When will this survey take place?
- When will the survey results be available?
- Is it mandatory to administer the survey in schools?
- Is it mandatory for students or parents/guardians to participate?
- How do students access the survey?
- How can parents/guardians (K-5) access the survey?
- If parents/guardians have more than one child in grades K to 5, should they fill a survey for each?
- How does the NBHC protect personal information?
- Can I see past results?
- How will the data collected be used?
- In which languages is the survey available?
- Specific questions about the survey
- Whom do I contact if I have any questions or concerns?
1. WHAT IS THE STUDENT WELLNESS AND EDUCATION SURVEY?
The New Brunswick Student Wellness and Education Survey is a joint initiative of the New Brunswick Health Council (NBHC) and the Government of New Brunswick’s Department of Health and Department of Education & Early Childhood Development. The New Brunswick Student Wellness and Education Survey is conducted in all public schools across New Brunswick. It aims to evaluate several aspects of students’ wellness, including their social and emotional development, physical health, substance use, and experiences at school and in the community. Each cycle, over 50,000 students in grades 4 to 12 and over 22,000 parents/guardians of students in kindergarten to grade 5 respond to the Survey.
2. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS SURVEY?
This survey aims to understand and report on several aspects of students’ wellness and education. This information is used by stakeholders to identify gaps and challenges and make informed decisions.
Students in grades 4 to 12 are asked about their experience at school and in the community, their social and emotional development, and their physical health. Students in grades 7 to 12 are also asked about substance use.
Parents/guardians of children in grades K to 5 are also asked about their child’s social and emotional development, and physical health.
3. WHEN WILL THIS SURVEY TAKE PLACE?
The survey is conducted in the fall of each year. Individual schools are responsible for identifying a specific date to administer the survey to their students.
4. WHEN WILL THE SURVEY RESULTS BE AVAILABLE?
All provincial results are available on the NBHC website in the spring. School results will also be distributed to school administrators in the spring.
5. IS IT MANDATORY TO ADMINISTER THE SURVEY IN SCHOOLS?
It is mandatory for all schools to administer the survey to their students in grades 4-12 and to distribute survey information to parents/guardians of students in grades K-5.
6. IS IT MANDATORY FOR STUDENTS OR PARENTS/GUARDIANS TO PARTICIPATE?
This survey is voluntary for students and parents/guardians. If students (or their parents/guardians) choose to participate, they can still refuse to answer specific questions in the survey.
If the student does not wish to complete the survey, they can tell the survey administrator (if their name was provided) or the school administrator that they do not wish to participate and ask that their teacher assign other work instead.
If parents/guardians do not wish that their child complete the survey, they can tell the survey administrator (if their name was provided) or the school administrator that they do not wish for their child to participate and ask that their teacher assign other work instead.
7. HOW DO STUDENTS ACCESS THE SURVEY?
The survey is accessed via an online platform. Links are distributed in the classrooms.
8. HOW CAN PARENTS/GUARDIANS (K-5) ACCESS THE SURVEY?
Parent/guardian handouts are prepared and sent to each school. One handout is distributed per student to bring home. On the handout is a QR code (barcode for which the content can be read with a smartphone), a link to the survey, and a survey code, which is required to respond to the survey.
9. IF PARENTS/GUARDIANS HAVE MORE THAN ONE CHILD IN GRADES K TO 5, SHOULD THEY FILL A SURVEY FOR EACH?
We ask that parents/guardians fill a unique survey for each child, since the reality of each child is unique.
10. HOW DOES THE NBHC PROTECT PERSONAL INFORMATION?
All information collected through this survey is anonymous and confidential. Individual answers are combined with others for public reporting. No names are associated with the surveys. Instead, randomly selected codes are provided to students, and all results are grouped together. The survey adheres to the privacy laws of New Brunswick under the Personal Health Information Privacy and Access Act. No school personnel will know how individual participants responded. Students and parents/guardians have the option to skip any question on the survey if they are not comfortable answering it.
11. CAN I SEE PAST RESULTS?
Past results at the provincial level can be accessed from the NBHC website (www.nbhc.ca). For school level past results, you may contact your school administrator. Requests for previous EECD Student Survey reports can also be made through your school administrator.
12. HOW WILL THE DATA COLLECTED BE USED?
Schools, districts, and the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development will be using the results of this survey for their respective planning processes with the aim of improving the educational experience, learning, and student wellness in the province.
Public Health will be using the results from this survey to monitor the wellness of children and youth.
The NBHC will be using provincial, zone, and community-level results of this survey to inform New Brunswickers about the wellness of our young population and to support local wellness initiatives.
Various initiatives and programs have been developed leveraging the data from the Student Wellness and Education Survey by different organizations. Examples include: community or school gardens, breakfast programs, physical activity initiatives, anti-tobacco programs, etc.
13. IN WHICH LANGUAGES IS THE SURVEY AVAILABLE?
The survey is available in the two official languages of New Brunswick: English and French.
14. SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SURVEY
Why do you ask about different backgrounds?
Some of our personal characteristics can be related to experiences of discrimination or to health disparities. For that reason, the NBHC collects and analyzes data by different demographic characteristics.
This aggregate data enables organizations and groups of interest to identify areas of improvement based on gaps in the experiences and outcomes for various groups.
Why do you ask about weight and eating behaviours?
Healthy eating is important for the healthy development of children and youth, and to reduce the risk of obesity and chronic health conditions later in life. Where and when children and youth eat, or not, can have a great influence on their body weight and other related physical and mental health outcomes. Food insecurity can also influence eating habits.
Understanding eating habits, the factors that affect eating habits, and the prevalence of obesity enables schools, communities, and organizations to understand the nutritional needs of their students and develop programs that respond to their specific needs like breakfast programs, school gardening initiatives, etc.
15. WHOM DO I CONTACT IF I HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS?
If you have any questions or would like to have more information about this Survey or its results, please call the toll-free number 1-877-225-2521 or send us an email at info@nbhc.ca.