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REINVESTMENT NEEDED FOR BETTER STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH

PROVINCIAL LEADERS MUST COMMIT ADDITIONAL FUNDING AND RESOURCES, WRITES JAWED

Leading up to the June 2 provincial election, Metroland reached out to members of its Diversity and Inclusion Community Advisory Committee, inviting them to write about an important election issue. This column is part of this initiative.

The COVID-19 pandemic has deeply intensified pre-existing issues within post-secondary education systems in Ontario.

Ontario has some of the highest tuition fees in Canada and the lowest per capita student funding nationally, and a job market where 70 per cent of jobs now require some degree of post-secondary education.

In the past, the provincial government has decreased operating funding for post-secondary education. Over the past two years, more than $1 billion has been slashed from the Ontario Student Assistance Program, leaving students with significantly larger debt.

Students have struggled during the pandemic and face a variety of challenges to their mental well-being. Post-pandemic recovery plans must include a more equitable, healthy, high-quality education system in Ontario that accounts better for student mental health.

Mental health concerns among Ontario's post-secondary students reflect the ongoing pressures and inequities common to student life. Daily, many students face housing insecurity, food insecurity, financial insecurity, and health-care insecurity.

With millennials alone projected to comprise 75 per cent of the workforce by the year 2025, the mental health of the younger workforce should be a top priority.

Provincial leaders must discuss their plans to address these concerns and commit additional funding and resources to post-secondary institutions to promote and support mental wellness and build more resilient campus communities.

Ontario universities are centres of excellence, innovation, and talent development for the emerging workforce, as well as research and development hubs crucial for developing innovative technologies.

At a time of rapid technological, economic, environmental, and social shift, Canadian researchers are addressing emerging global threats such as pandemics, food security, health care access, water and wastewater management, climate change and creating a more prosperous, inclusive, and innovative society.

Decades of systematic underfunding for postsecondary education have led to significant cutbacks impacting research and development capacity while new global threats are on the rise requiring greater research, innovative, and sustainable solutions.

A healthy post-secondary education system will require sustainable and predictable research funding to support post-pandemic recovery. Provincial leaders must address Ontario's research capacity, which has been slowed because of the pandemic, through commitment to increased research funding.

In this election, we must call for investment in post-secondary education. If we want a brighter and more resilient post-pandemic recovery, we need commitment from provincial leaders for research and development in postsecondary settings, along with firm commitment to protect the mental health of our future young workforce.

Dr. Zobia Jawed is the McMaster University's faculty lead for Engineering Design Projects, assistant professor (A), wWastewater research lead; board of director and chair, Healthy Youth Network; board of director, Conservation Halton. She serves as a member of Metroland's Diversity and Inclusion Community Advisory Committee.

OPINION

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2022-05-19T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-05-19T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://communitynews.pressreader.com/article/281590949172159

Metroland Media Group Ltd.