Year 12 Health Education Studies (12HES)

The aim of this course is to develop a deeper understanding of well-being and its influencing factors. It builds upon work covered in the Level 1 course, and delves far more in-depth into the concepts of health and their relationship to New Zealand society. 

This course is ideally suited to students who have an interest in the well-being of the wider community, leading to employment in social work, nursing, education, as well as the medical field. The course offers 20 credits via a range of assessment standards which are a mix of both internally and externally assessed standards. 

Some of the key study themes include:

• The influences on gender and sexual identity.
• Mental health and resilience - how a role model of yours has been impacted.
• The importance of understanding issues in relation to adolescent health issues.
• The concept of “social justice” and its meaning in relation to health issues.
• Health Promotion – planning and implementing for health enhancing change across the school. 

Courses which lead on from Health Studies at school include University of Auckland papers in sociology, psychology, health sciences, social work, education, community and population health, and health promotion. The University of Otago also offer comprehensive health papers through their Health Science degree. AUT now has a degree in Health Promotion.