Schools haven’t been “open enough” about the issue of bullying, Education Minister Norma Foley said as she unveiled new plans aimed at tackling the issue. She stated that schools and the Department Of Education would need to work harder if a child was not being included and was unhappy.
New guidelines have been issued saying that schools will be obliged to record all incidents of bullying. These will be recorded and which will be included anonymously in a national database.
The entire school community will be required to be vigilant and ensure that bullying isn’t happening in school.
Hidden areas like hallways, staircases and in the yard where there is a greater risk of bullying will be tackled.
Cases of bullying will be reviewed with students and their parents after 20 days to see if the bullying has stopped.
These new rules are part of the “Bí Cineálta” (Be Kind) initiative, which aims to stamp out bullying in schools.
Minister Foley declared that as a teacher herself she knows that teachers are always very proud when children are happy and included, but pointed out that school staff need to work harder when a child is not happy.
