TORONTO, ON – The Ontario Student Trustees’ Association, as the voice of student representatives from across the province, believes the Premier’s healthy schools announcement is a step forward for the province’s pupils.
“This announcement will positively impact student health,” said association president Andrew Pawluch.
“Schools should be societies of learning that educate the whole person—mind and body. The government recognises that education must go beyond the classroom to a school-wide atmosphere of learning which includes proper eating practices,” said Pawluch. “Mandating healthy food in schools promotes healthy students and therefore healthy learners who understand the importance of their eating habits. By educating students about healthy food choices, we can directly curb child obesity and diabetes.
Healthy schools foster healthy students who will grow up to have the capacity to realise their potential; healthy students learn better.”
The association trusts that this announcement, building upon actions in the government’s previous term, will be merely the start of further action to ensure student health and wellness. Mandatory physical activity and healthy eating education for both parents and students are critical to ensuring good overall health for Ontario’s students.
“All factors, including exercise and nutritional education—even recognising the imperative to protect the environment for good respiratory health—need to be taught to Ontario’s students to ensure all pupils are living, and learning, healthily,” Pawluch said.
The government’s actions this week are a positive step that should be enhanced by further efforts to educate students about healthy living.
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As the largest student stakeholder in Ontario’s education system, OSTA-AECO represents the 1.9 million students in the four school sectors. The association promotes the unity without conformity of all affiliated student trustees in order to advance the student vision. Student trustees are elected by their peers to bring the student voice to school board tables to improve the quality of education in schools across the province.