Alberta Teachers’ Association president Jason Schilling has issued the following statement with regards to the Alberta Government’s extension of the Mental Health in Schools Pilot program.
“I am encouraged to see the government recognizes the importance of providing mental health supports for our students. The decision to extend the Mental Health in Schools Pilot program is welcome news, but it still falls short of providing the public education system with the reliable funding it needs in this area.
This program only guarantees access to mental health supports and services until the end of the upcoming school year. However, our members have consistently expressed the need for dependable and continuous mental health supports for their students.
Now, more than ever, the government needs to make funding for projects that support student mental health a permanent part of the budgeting cycle and not an afterthought.”
The Alberta Teachers’ Association, as the professional organization of teachers, promotes and advances public education, supports teachers’ professional practice and serves as the advocate for its 46,000 members.