Investigating the Conditions of Possibility for Environmental Health within Health and Physical Education

A National Curriculum in Health and Physical Education (HPE) has recently been developed in Australia. This new curriculum reflects, among other educational priorities, both environmental sensitivities and a commitment to the enhancement of young people’s health and wellbeing. HPE is one of the key sites in the curriculum where a focused consideration of the relationship between the environment and health is possible. Despite the importance of interactions with natural environments for personal and social well-being, there is only limited evidence of an ‘environmental health’ presence as an idea or area of study in school education in Australia.