ABSTRACT
The purpose of this chapter is to problematize the state of affairs that is generally taken for granted with regard to school health policy making. By and large the idea that schools are one of the most appropriate and effective places in which to prosecute health policy goals seems uncontroversial. No doubt this is partly fueled by a pervasive ‘common-sense’ assumption that virtually any societal dilemma can and should be addressed in schools. At the same time, school health policies have also become apparatuses of calculated cultural, political, financial, and ideological motivations. In this chapter we focus our analysis on the confluence of these two factors as this influences effectual policy making. Drawing on historical and contemporary debates around two particular school health issues, our analysis reveals that while the ‘performance’ of health policy making and its enactment are often a presented as convenient, apolitical, and worthwhile, little attention is given to the complex motivations for action or issues of efficacy. In the end, we suggest when school health interventions operate as a ‘habit of mind’ as well as a political and ideological tool, there exists some potential threats to a rigorous and robust policy process which may be contrary to democratic ideals.
