CALGARY – Alberta’s NDP is calling on the UCP government to increase mental health support for students.

“Kids have been through so much over the course of the pandemic. But they often can’t see the signs of deteriorating mental health or can’t express themselves. They will need more support to get through this year,” said NDP Education Critic Sarah Hoffman. “Unfortunately, the UCP government continues to cut and underspend education funding in the middle of this physical and mental health crisis we are facing.”

The Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw has recently cited the impacts of COVID on kids. This includes isolation protocols and online classes that have led to difficulty learning, as well as family stress from job loss or illness.

In April, the Alberta Medical Association Section of Pediatrics flagged similar concerns in a letter to the Premier, citing COVID outbreaks and school disruptions as detrimental to children’s mental health and development.

Jessy Roos, Executive Director of Calgary mental health counselling firm Cultivate, said that with many COVID measures in place again this year, that impact on kids’ mental health is expected to be exacerbated and is a cause of concern for teachers and parents. 

“In order to protect children’s resilience, we must give them the proper support to process their experiences, the tools for emotional regulation, and access to safe, professional guidance in the form of properly trained mental health therapists in school,” said Roos. 

“The benefit to children and families cannot be understated.”

According to the UCP government’s 2020-2021 annual report, they underspent the allotted Education funding by $600 million after laying off 20,000 staff at the beginning of the fiscal year. The UCP had also set aside $1.25 billion in Budget 2021 as an unallocated contingency which the UCP said would support COVID-related measures.  

The NDP’s plan is estimated to cost a fraction of that at $180 million for 2,275 mental health support staff. 

“The UCP fired 20,000 teachers and staff with a tweet on a weekend. Surely they can hire back one-tenth of them to support kids’ mental health,” said Hoffman. “We need to do everything we can to support students through this difficult time and set them up for future success.”

The Alberta NDP Caucus continues to call on the UCP to provide leadership for back-to-school by restoring reporting parameters for schools so parents are informed of COVID-19 cases and ensuring all schools have access to rapid tests, especially K-6 classes.