Mr. John Curtis:

As to whether things are more difficult for students than they used to be, schools are much kinder places, and they become even kinder every year. We are focused on the fundamentals of our mission and challenge, namely, to look after the kids the best we can. Nonetheless, children are living in a much more difficult space. They lack the community support of previous years. I often think of the old adage, "It takes a village to raise a child". The situation has changed in that respect. That is why schools are so important. They give communities to students and a sense of differentiation. Students meet different kinds of characters and people. Today is a more challenging environment for children to grow up in, so schools are more important than ever in that regard. We must keep ensuring that they are kind places.

Regarding the types of bullying that we see in schools, there is no pattern per se. We see bullying in all guises. It can be transphobic, homophobic or because Johnny has red hair. Children are children and we must realise that, by their nature, they will do childish things. It is our job to try to educate them. They pick up on what is in the media and what is happening in wider society. I would hate to think that there was faith-based bullying in any of our schools. The majority of our schools are faith schools and we try to have an inclusive culture wherein we look after everyone. That is a fundamental part of our mission.

The question about coping skills was apt. It is a challenge for us. We deal with cases on occasion. What is one child's bullying is another child's banter. Perhaps children do not innately have the same skill level in those arenas now that they might have had hitherto. Perhaps that is because families are smaller, they have fewer social outlets or more of their social outlets are online. It is challenging. We must bear in mind that this is part of the package. Resilience is a major issue. We are trying to equip kids with the social skills to manage these situations and set them up for life. In some respects, what worries me most is that the kids with problems in school whom we deal with are often the ones who do not have problems later in life. That is because they have a focus or spotlight placed on them.

The children I worry about are the second-tier children who do not come to the forefront in school. Often, they are the ones who go on to have problems, especially young men in their 20s and the mental health issues that arise for them. I saw some surveys recently showing that, at third level, there is an increase in people presenting with mental health issues. I am always worried about the people who are under the radar in schools. What are we doing for them? Are we preparing them for life after school, when they will perhaps not have the supports they need? I always have that ongoing concern because I have seen some sad cases involving young men in their 20s. I worry about what we should be doing for them. It is often not necessarily the children who come to attention in school who suffer after they leave. We have much to think about, reflect on and work on in that regard.