The Ontario Healthy Schools Coalition(OHSC) is an Ontario-wide, broad-based coalition, with members from public health units, school boards, hospitals, mental health agencies, universities, health-related organizations, education-related organizations, and parent and student organizations, working to promote healthy schools so students can achieve academic success and well-being.
What's NEW2018 School Health Guideline
The purpose of this guideline is to provide direction to boards of health on required approaches to developing and implementing programs and services that contribute to achieving optimal health of school-aged children and youth through partnerships and collaboration with school boards and schools .......take a look OHSC Healthy Schools Toolkit This toolkit developed by OHSC is an excellent resource for educators, parents, public health and community leaders... take a look |
OHSC Statement: Reverting back to the 1998 sexual health curriculum will put students at risk
For Immediate Release – July 16, 2018 Toronto, ON – The Ontario Healthy Schools Coalition (OHSC) agrees with the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (ETFO), the Ontario Physical and Health Education Association (Ophea), and the Ontario Association for the Support of Physical and Health Educators (OASPHE) that our children and youth will be harmed as a result of the new government’s repeal of Ontario’s current Sexual Health Curriculum and replacement with a severely out-dated 1998 curriculum. The new curriculum focuses on prevention and well-being in an effort to both help students manage their own health by making informed decisions and to save the government health care dollars. Understanding healthy relationships and consent, respecting all people whatever their visible or invisible differences, ensuring safety from online bullying, and having information about their own bodies are important for young people. The newer curriculum provides teachers with the tools to educate students in age appropriate ways. As well, it was developed by child and youth health experts and educators, and is based on current knowledge and research. This will not be used in schools starting in September. Schools are in the business of human development and this curriculum plays a key role. By reverting to curriculum developed in 1998, the government is going to put our children and youth in harm’s way over the next year while “it consults”. The government fails to realize that there has already been extensive consultation on the current curriculum across Ontario, with parents, students, teachers, and health organizations. It is disappointing that opposition to the curriculum stems from ignorance about the content and how it was developed. The Ontario Human Rights Code recognizes that the rights of all students, including those who identify as LGBTQ, must be respected in every school. The Ontario Healthy Schools Coalition believes that the new government needs to respect Ontario’s human rights laws, especially in regard to our children and youth. It is important that we protect and prepare our students for the real world that they live in. OHSC believes that healthy schools include healthy staff, healthy children, and healthy families. Our vision is that every child and youth in Ontario will be educated in a healthy school. A healthy school promotes the physical, mental, social and spiritual health of the whole school community. OHSC is a broad based coalition with members from public health, education, research, health related organizations, education related organizations, and parent and student organizations. Learn more about our work at www.ontariohealthyschools.com. For more information, contact Arlene Morell, OHSC Administrative Coordinator, 519-619-4524 onthsc@gmail.com |
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A project that connects front‐line educators with evidence-based practices that improve student well-being. read more... Well-Being Briefs ... learn more |
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Healthy Schools
Promoting well-being in Ontario schools Read more... Well-Being in Our Schools: Strength in our Society |
