Ms ?ine Lynch:

There are many things in schools at the moment, including the code of behaviour, the anti-bullying policy and the child protection policy. All of those are reported to parents. In the context of how behaviour is managed in a school, parents have to sign the code of behaviour when their children start in a school. There are many policies in place. Conversations are missing from the process, however. There needs to be more open communication between students, parents and schools around how they are experiencing that within the school. It is important that there are conversations with children about how they feel in a school in the context of whether they feel safe and supported. It is not just about schools reporting to parents; parents must be part of the conversation about behaviour. What happens in the home regarding behaviour very much influences what happens in the school as well. Having more open dialogue between children, schools and parents is critical, rather than just having more and more policies.