It’s an honour to rise in the House to speak to my motion tabled earlier today that would require Ontario schools to include mental health literacy in the curriculum as a requirement for graduation.

Since 2019, I’ve been advocating to have mental health education included in the public school curriculum, working closely alongside Minister Lecce. I’m incredibly grateful for his assistance in making this happen. This is a topic that is close to my heart, and we have an opportunity to do right by our children and future generations.

Mental health issues start early, and young people aged 15 to 24 are more likely to experience mental illness or substance-use disorders than any other age group. COVID-19 has impacted all students, with many facing new vulnerabilities.

The introduction of mandatory mental health education delivered directly and intentionally to Ontario students complements our government’s unprecedented investments in student mental health supports. Developing literacy is what schools do best, and mental health literacy can be taught, just like any other subject, including math, English or physical health education.

Mental health education empowers students with the knowledge, skills and tools they need to navigate their mental health before getting to crisis, reducing health care costs and the strain on our health care system and saving lives.