This paper is written by the first author of the international Organization for Economic and Cooperative Develoment (OECD) report on Social and Emotional Skills (2015) and draws on findings in the full OECD report to highlight the importance of fostering social and emotional skills in children.

It provides a snapshot of what policy makers and schools across OECD countries are doing to help children develop, and monitor the development of these skills. Challenges in mobilizing the research on SEL are also addressed, and ideas for stakeholders to enhance the efforts of fostering, and assessing social and emotional skills in schools are suggested.

Miyamoto, K., Huerta, M. C. and Kubacka, K. (2015), Fostering Social and Emotional Skills for Well-Being and Social Progress. European Journal of Education, 50: 147–159. doi: 10.1111/ejed.12118