Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce announced this morning that a number of changes are coming to the school curriculum this fall.

One welcome addition will be teaching students about financial planning and responsibilities, which will be an important staple in their decision making processes for the rest of their lives.

Students between Grades 1 and 9 will begin learning a new language curriculum that puts a focus on “time-tested practices” such as phonics, cursive writing, digital literacy, word processing and critical thinking skills.

The province has also included a minimum of 30 minutes of “daily protected and dedicated time for reading instruction.”

Instead of taking traditional computer courses, Grade 10 students will study “Digital Technology and Innovations in the Changing World.”

In this class, students will learn “computational thinking” and will explore the impacts of technological innovation and cyber-security on their daily lives.

New mental health aids will be launched on September 9th for students in Grades 7 and 8 as part of the Health and Physical Education curriculum.

Following an overhaul three years ago to math education, the government is investing an additional $71 million to boost math performance through the use of “Math Action Teams.”

Lecce says the province has committed $109 million for reading, which can be used to hire specialist teachers to work one-on-one or in small groups of students to assist them with their reading comprehension skills.

Meanwhile, Lecce is urging three teachers unions to agree to a deal that avoids a strike.

Last week, the province and the union that represents English high school teachers agreed to negotiate until the end of October and send any unresolved issues to arbitration.

Lecce wants the three other teachers unions to take that same deal. However, those other unions say they’re not considering the proposal at this time.