Teachers’ union forum told schools face more student mental health challenges

KITCHENER — Teacher Michael Beetham barely dodged a massive rock thrown at him by a troubled student who was acting unsafely.

He has kept the rock as a reminder of challenges and risks around mental health in schools.

“The biggest challenge I see right now is in the area of mental health,” Beetham told an education forum Tuesday. “It takes so much energy to get to the root of the cause of behaviour.”

Beetham was among three panellists at the public forum. Panellists spoke about children who act out, about disruptions in classrooms, and about violent incidents that shake teachers and students.

“There’s still way, way too much stigma around mental health,” said panellist Susan Cadell, a social work professor at the University of Waterloo.

Panellist Joanne Weston, a school volunteer, would like to see more teacher assistants in classrooms, to help limit disruptions caused by students in crisis.

“I see kids are much more stressed and it comes out in school,” she said in an interview.

More than 50 people attended the forum hosted by the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario. The teachers’ union is soliciting public feedback on its sixpoint plan to build better schools.

Weston has two children in public schools and another child who recently graduated. “I think parents and teachers need to have better conversations around common goals,” she said in an interview.

People at the evening forum heard about how schools are funded and held workshop-like discussions on education issues.

The union’s plan calls for smaller classrooms, more support for students with special needs, less standardized testing, more specialist teachers, more support to reflect classroom diversity, and more support for teacher unions.

It’s a timely forum in a community with a below-average graduation rate and a widening achievement gap compared to students elsewhere who are improving faster.