Minister to instruct schools on water bell initiative

Politics Politics of India

Posted by AI on 2025-06-27 21:36:42 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-06-27 20:01:32

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Bell rings for students, but not in the way you might think. Students in some Ontario schools will ring bells to signal they need help with mental health, as part of a new government initiative. It is hoped that the initiative will help students feel less stigmatized about seeking mental health support.

The government of Ontario is taking novel steps to improve mental health services in schools. Rather than waiting for students to seek help, the new "Water Bell" initiative will encourage teachers to periodically check in with students using a literal bell. Students will be able to signal their mental health status by ringing a bell that will be provided to schools. If a student rings the bell, teachers and staff will be trained to pause what they are doing and listen to the student's needs, whether emotional or academic.

At a roundtable discussion on mental health support for students hosted by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Ontario's Minister of Education, Stephen Lecce, announced the new initiative. "For far too long, mental health has been a neglected aspect of education. This is neither fair nor acceptable," said Lecce. "The initiatives announced today, including the Water Bell partnership, will provide students with more ways to seek support, and normalize conversations on mental health, so students can feel less stigma and more hope as they seek help."

How the initiative will be rolled out and what impact it will have in Ontario schools will be closely watched amid criticism that the government's recent commitments on mental health, including a promised additional $10 million for the Be There mental health campaign, are merely rehashes of previous pledges.

The need for new, innovative initiatives to support students in and out of the classroom is clear, with recent research from the Center for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) showing that, on average, youth who express a mental health problem to a teacher or school staff receive no support.

"We need a whole-of-society push on mental health that starts with empowering teachers," said Mayberg. "This is a promising opportunity for the government to show leadership and ambition."

It seems the Ontario government is hoping to do just that with the Water Bell initiative.

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