Mindfulness In Ontario Education: A Positive Movement

Children are most influenced by their family, school, and society. Through exploring the various failings within the Ontario school system (i.e., bullying, substance abuse, anxiety, and depression), it becomes apparent that in a climate of austerity schools are often held responsible for the shortcomings of society as they are asked to do more with less. With the introduction of the Common Sense Revolution, children were expected to learn, develop and grow in these increasingly competitive and less-supportive environments. The Common Sense Revolution can be connected to expanding neoliberalism in what can be described as increasing the transfer of wealth and tax dollars from a shrinking public sector to a deregulated private sector. In this paper I analyze the shortcomings of the neoliberal model of education and explore alternative perspectives. As studies have demonstrated, the positive benefits of mindfulness can make a positive contribution to the Ontario school system.