Let this be a message from students.

 

Our schools have failed us. We are in schools to develop our minds, yet we are not taught how to take care of them. 

 

We don’t need statistics to prove that we have been suffering. How can we not be? We are told to “just breathe” when our air is not clean and gray is the new green, when female bodies are not theirs to own and bullets ring clear through classroom corridors.

 

When so many of our problems are met with promises and prayers, do not let this message fall victim to the same void: our world is changing, and our schools must too. The burdens we carry, we cannot simply “deal with it.” We must learn to live with it. 

 

As a rising senior in high school, the mental health crisis is obvious to me. Fortunately, the solution is too. 

 

We need a paradigm shift in public education: the creation and implementation of mental health education into the core curriculum from kindergarten through 12th grade. The mental health crisis must be proactively addressed through a compulsory and comprehensive mental health framework — much like english, mathematics, and physical education. Through both principle and practice, students would be instilled with a strong foundation in mental health literacy: the ability to understand, develop, and maintain good mental health. What would make this curriculum unprecedented is its expansive approach: mental health education would be allocated the same number of years and hours of school time as physical education.

 

All students will benefit from a holistic understanding of mental health as an aspect of our intrinsic wellbeing. The World Health Organization defines mental health as the “well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community.” Just as we learn how our bodies work and how to take care of them, we must learn how our minds work and how to actively take care of them. Just as we learn how to identify and rectify physical injuries and illnesses, we must learn how to identify and rectify mental injuries and illnesses. Just as we practice conditioning our bodies, we must practice conditioning our minds. 

 

While physical education is well established within our schools, mental health education is nearly nonexistent. This disparity is appalling given that most Americans recognize that mental health is just as important as physical health. Even in a progressive state like Califonia, this disparity is stark. The California Department of Education mandates physical education: 100 minutes per week for first through eighth grade and 200 minutes per week for seventh through twelfth grade. Mental health education, on the other hand, is relegated to a mental health unit within pre-existing health courses once in elementary school, once in middle school, and once in high school. Worse yet, schools without an existing health class are exempt altogether. Such meager standards for mental health education are unacceptable. 

 

It only makes sense to teach mental health literacy in schools — this is the promise of public education. Horace Mann, the father of public education in America, envisioned schools as the “great equalizer.” Schools rightfully recognize the holistic wellbeing of students as imperative towards an equitable education; this is why free meals are provided to socioeconomically disadvantaged students. Student mental health is no different. While a semblance of mental health education is available to affluent students who can afford to keep up with the skyrocketing expenses of mental health resources, low-income students are left with an additional barrier to their education. It is illogical to expect a student who is struggling with their mental health to focus on Algebra I. Quite frankly, it is inequitable. Mental health education would not only ensure equal access, but it would promote equal success.

 

For the past two years, I have been advocating for comprehensive and compulsory mental health education at my school district, Culver City Unified School District (CCUSD). Earlier this year, I helped draft resolution number 37, which directs the school district towards seeing this vision come to light. On May 24th, 2023, the school board unanimously passed the resolution!

 

However, it will be difficult to develop and implement this curriculum without state-mandated frameworks and funding. Even in a school district that prioritizes student wellbeing, it took a year for the school board to pass the resolution and it will take even longer to see the curriculum implemented in classrooms. Each school district should not have to go through this arduous process alone. Addressing the mental health crisis effectively and efficiently demands a nation-wide initiative for fundamental, core curriculum change. 

 

Up until now, the mental health crisis has been met with calls for more school mental health counselors and resources. While these needs must be met, they are largely reactive. The mental health crisis also demands proactive, long-term solutions. Suicide prevention presentations and a few lessons in health class are not enough. Schools must equip students with all of the skills — including the mental health skills — that they will need to successfully navigate the rest of their lives. I may never need to understand sine and cosine again after high school, but you better believe I will need to support myself or a loved one during rough times. We all will. Through K-12 mental health education, we can improve and save lives for generations to come.