Dear Editor,
I write to you as a PhD, University Professor, Registered Psychotherapist, and mental health and relationship expert with nearly 20 years of experience. I also write as a father, friend, and Canadian citizen deeply concerned by a recent decision by the Grand Erie District School Board (GEDSB) and what this decision reveals about how little regard is given to child and adolescent well-being.
Recently I learned that GEDSB decided to relocate French Immersion students from one high school – North Park Collegiate (NPC) – to another high school (Brantford Collegiate Institute) across town. This change, which was communicated publicly after the school year had already begun, will result in severing not only institutional continuity but, more importantly, the friendships, peer groups, social supports, and teacher‐ and staff‐student relationships that are critical to adolescent development and wellbeing.
Adding to the troubling nature of the decision itself is the fact that GEDSB did not consult with students, parents, or the community prior to making the decision.
Lest any suggest that this decision is, at most, an inconvenience, there is a robust body of research showing the consequences of such abrupt changes can be far more serious:
- Relocating, including to new schools, during adolescence is correlated with rises in internalizing symptoms like depression and anxiety, decreases in life satisfaction, and increased psychosocial stress (Lin et al., 2012).
- Disruption of peer networks, loss of familiar social support, breakdown of routine are significant stressors for adolescents, a developmental period when peer belonging and stability are central to identity formation (Henkens et al., 2024).
- Even one major move during childhood or adolescence can increase risk of depression later in life (Storey, 2024).
According to Social Determinants of Health, a theory which holds that social and environmental factors profoundly shape health outcomes, the social environment of adolescents, including stable schooling, consistent peer relationships, and supportive adult mentors, is one of the core non‐medical determinants of general wellbeing and mental health outcomes.
GEDSB’s decision to relocate French Immersion students is a decision to uproot our youth from the support systems they have been developing, the peer bonds they have been forming, and the sense of familiarity of staff and environment they have been establishing. Such factors are not merely important, but necessary, for resilience, mental health, and academic success.
For teenagers, social belonging is deeply tied to mental stability. Disruption of friendships and support networks, even temporarily, can precipitate increased anxiety, depression, and risk of self‐harm. In some tragic cases, abrupt changes in environment and support have been associated with suicidal ideation or worse.
As a concerned member of this community, and as someone who sees the deleterious impact the decision by GEDSB not only will have, but is already having, on French Immersion students and their families, I respectfully urge:
- GEDSB to rescind or suspend its decision to move French Immersion students mid‐program. Instead, allow them to complete their French studies at NPC, or otherwise offer comparable alternatives with full consultation.
- Immediate dialogue – mediated, if necessary – be had with affected students, parents, and GEDSB staff and administrators, to explore impacts and mitigate harm.
- Transparent explanation of the reasons behind this relocation: Why was there no prior consultation? What precipitated the decision at this late date? Why was students’ welfare not taken into account?
- Oversight from Provincial and Federal authorities and other related bodies (e.g., Ontario Ministry of Education, Mental Health Commission of Canada) to ensure that decisions made by GEDSB – and all school boards throughout Canada – which adversely affect student mental health are subject to policies requiring consultation and assessment of impacts.
I deeply believe this is not merely a matter of inconvenience or logistics. While such factors must be considered, the health, dignity, and future of our youth is, in this author’s opinion, forever more important. I hope that public attention will lead to a reconsidered decision that places student well‐being at the center.
Sincerely,
Aaron Smith, PhD, RP
