Nov 29, 2018, Estevan (SK) Mercury: School division approves mental health curriculum https://www.estevanmercury.ca/news/regional/school-division-approves-mental-health-curriculum-1.23513878 The planning and process of introducing and implementing mental health programs within the South East Cornerstone Public School Division was explained to the board of trustees on Nov. 21 when they met in the school division’s conference room in Weyburn. Aaron Hiske, Cornerstone’s superintendent of education, made the presentation, explaining how the need was brought to the forefront due to a number of events that occurred in the region during the 2017-18 school year. Hiske said the age of the students who were affected was 12-18 years, and that regardless of grade configuration or location, all schools across the division were impacted, with one female student losing her life due to self-harm, as did four adults from school communities. Another 15 were hospitalized as a result of self-harming activities and “these are only the instances we are aware of,” Hiske said. As a result, a six-to-eight-hour program was established for delivery in Cornerstone classrooms and will be mandatory in the first year of delivery. The program has two levels, with one level aimed at younger students from early years to Grade 8 and the second level for those up to Grade 12…. … “We have partner agencies in social services, police and mental health professionals, so there is a systemic response to increase awareness.” … “Despite the great work of our counsellors and community support agencies, our students needed more,” said Hiske. The feedback that followed the development of a pilot teen mental health program last school year allowed administration to know more context was needed for teachers to deliver an eight-lesson curriculum. …
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Childhood Lost
Children today are noticeably different from previous generations, and the proof is in the news coverage we see every day. This site shows you what’s happening in schools around the world. Children are increasingly disabled and chronically ill, and the education system has to accommodate them. Things we've long associated with autism, like sensory issues, repetitive behaviors, anxiety and lack of social skills, are now problems affecting mainstream students. Blame is predictably placed on bad parenting (otherwise known as trauma from home).
Addressing mental health needs is as important as academics for modern educators. This is an unrecognized disaster. The stories here are about children who can’t learn or behave like children have always been expected to. What childhood has become is a chilling portent for the future of mankind.
Anne Dachel, Media editor, Age of Autism
http://www.ageofautism.com/media/
(John Dachel, Tech. assist.)
What will happen in another 4 years? How can we go on like this? This is a national (and international) problem of monumental proportions. We have an entire new class of children who cannot be accommodated by the system: many are manifestly neurologically impaired. Meanwhile, the government and the medical profession sleep on regardless.
John Stone,
UK media editor, Age of Autism
The generation of American children born after 1990 are arguably the sickest generation in the history of our country.
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
It seemed to me that with rising autism prevalence, you’d also see rising autism costs to society, and it turns out, the costs are catastrophic.
They calculated that in 2015 autism cost the United States $268 billion and they projected that if autism continues at its current rate, we’re looking at one trillion dollars a year in autism costs by 2025, so within five years.
Toby Rogers, PhD, Political economist
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