Survey on the contributions of hospice and palliative care staff to spiritual and life-and-death education at school

ABSTRACT

We surveyed the involvement of hospice and palliative care staff in spiritual and life-and-death education at school. We sent a questionnaire to a total of 138 hospice and palliative care institutions, receiving 67 responses (response rate 49%). A variety of staff at 15 institutions (22%) practiced life-and-death education. Most often, they realized the necessity of such education when they observed children grieving from the death or dying of a family member. 6 institutions targeted their life-and-death education to primary schools, 8 to junior high schools, and 6 to senior high schools. The number of teaching sessions ranged from once to 97 times per year, with hours of class contact less than one hour in 2 institutions, and 1-3 hours in the other 12 institutions. Even those institutions not conducting school education almost all responded that school education on life and death by healthcare workers would be meaningful. Respondents concurred that children would be moved by both "life-and-death education" and "spiritual education." Further comments almost all noted the importance of life-and-death education, not only for children but also for adults. In this sense, the expertise and experiences of hospice and palliative care institutions will become valuable educational resources.