The Alliance of Rhode Island Southeast Asians for Education Justice (ARISE) stands in full support of House Bill 6234’s proposal to “allow students to utilize 4 mental health days for mental/behavioral health concerns as an excused absence from school.”
Below are testimonials from our Youth Leaders, all of whom are High School students of color in Rhode Island:
“Many students have struggles outside of school-whether it’d be an issue happening at home, poor mental or physical health, a job to get to, etc.. School, although it’s a place to learn, should also be a place where a student feels safe and regarded as a human being rather than a machine to do paperwork. Many students struggle with getting their work on time, as well as struggle with the environment school provides. Adding mental health days into the school system would improve students mental health, allowing them to engage when school is present.” - Sila
“I think that this is a good Bill to pass because most students have a lot on their plate to deal with such as home issues and getting their futures together so having some days to kinda of relax and unwind would be good.” - Malachi
“School is stressful for students, they have to deal with social media, exams, and everyday school work on top of life. If adults want students to thrive they need to nurture the students mental health as well because they can not be good students if they are suffering.” - Ailani
“As school is stressful and can harm students in their health, it's only natural they would need days off to recover. While they may take advantage of this, it'll be a break from the work which is exactly what they need. 4 days are enough, and hopefully acceptable for the school to be the bare minimum.” - Sarah
“Students should be able to take care of their mental health without it coming at the expense of further upsetting their mental health and their education. By allowing students to have these mental health days, it creates a healthier work life balance. It pushes students to prioritize their mental wellness and return to academia without burnout. It's time the education system puts the needs of its students first and allows breaks to occur when the individual needs it, not after a student reaches their breaking point.” - Gabby
“Student mental health is something that isn’t taken any account to in schools and is something I feel we need to pay attention to. Many students usually stay home or avoid school because they do not have the mental capacity to take in lectures and class work, resulting in poor attendance that’s marked as unexcused. Student health in general should be something that should be better prioritized.” - Karriana
