Ontario's Burlington In addition to providing teachers with extra resources for Grades 7 and 8, Ontario is implementing new curricular requirements for Grade 10 students on mental health literacy.
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According to Stephen Lecce, minister of education, the government will also invest $26 million over the next two years on summer mental health services for students so that their assistance is not hampered by the summer holiday.
Alongside Natalie Pierre, who represents the Burlington riding for the Progressive Conservatives and has been advocating for increased mental health literacy in schools since her teenage son committed suicide a few years ago, he made the announcements today.
In addition to contacting adolescents at a time when mental health concerns frequently surface, Pierre claims that this strategy is proactive, realistic, and evidence-based. She hopes the new measures will help avoid tragedies similar to the one her family went through.
Every grade in Ontario's updated health and physical education curriculum covers mental health literacy. Still, today's announcement adds curriculum requirements for the Grade 10 career studies course, guiding students in identifying warning signs of overwhelm or difficulty and where to get help.
Additionally, teachers of the health and physical education curriculum for grades 7 and 8 will receive new lesson plans with student activities, videos, interactive programming, and data to teach students how to manage stress and notice signs and symptoms of a mental health concern.
