Empowering schools: translating health promotion principles into practice

Although schools are highly appropriate arenas for promoting health, in England they have hierarchical cultures, limited autonomy and a dominant academic function that can inhibit the adoption of empowerment approaches. Centred on an English perspective, this article presents a broad examination of the concept of empowerment and considers the implication this may have to schools. Aspects of personal empowerment, including the development of psychological and personal competencies, will be discussed alongside questions surrounding access to power at both the levels of the individual and the community. Ethical issues, such as freedom of action versus control, will also be addressed. The outcome of this analysis is a set of recommended practices which individual schools could adopt to encourage a more empowering environment for young people.