Dáil debates

Wednesday, 9 March 2005

Priority Questions.

Bullying in Schools.

1:00 pm

Photo of Olwyn EnrightOlwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 50: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the extent of bullying in schools; the action her Department is taking to combat bullying in schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8224/05]

Photo of Mary HanafinMary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I assure the Deputy that I am acutely aware of the issue of bullying in schools and my Department has in place a multifaceted strategy to tackle the issue.

The education of students in both primary and post-primary schools in anti-bullying behaviour is a central part of the social, personal and health education curriculum. SPHE is now a compulsory subject both at primary level and in the junior cycle of post-primary schools. The SPHE curriculum provides for the development of personal and social skills, including self awareness, respect for others, self esteem and communication skills, all of which are important elements in addressing the issue of bullying. In primary education, the issue of bullying is addressed in the SPHE curriculum in the Myself and Others strand from infants classes onwards. In second level education, bullying is addressed from first year onwards in the SPHE curriculum at junior cycle in the module on belonging and integrating.

My Department, in its guidelines on countering bullying behaviour in schools, has provided a national framework within which individual school management authorities may meet their responsibilities for implementing effective school-based policies to counter bullying. These guidelines were drawn up following consultation with representatives of school management, teachers and parents and are sufficiently flexible to allow each school authority to adapt them to suit the particular needs of the school. Each school is required to have in place a policy which includes specific measures to deal with bullying behaviour within the framework of an overall school code of behaviour and discipline. Such a code, properly devised and implemented, can be the most influential measure in countering bullying behaviour in schools.

The school development planning initiative plays an important role in supporting schools to raise awareness of the need for anti-bullying measures. In addition, my Department funds a number of support services and pilot initiatives which provide direct assistance to schools in dealing with the issue of bullying.

Photo of Olwyn EnrightOlwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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What evaluation has the Department carried out of the success rate of the SPHE anti-bullying element? Has the Minister seen statistics reflecting a reduction in bullying? Is the Minister aware of the programme carried out by Dr. Mona O'Moore in Trinity College and that an evaluation of it showed a reduction of 50% among those frequently victimised and a reduction of 69.2% in reports of those frequently carrying out bullying? That was properly evaluated and shows a high level of success. This pilot project was allowed to get off the ground in 1998 in response to a sad tragedy that occurred as a result of bullying and we all know of other tragedies in similar circumstances.

Does the Minister feel current provision is sufficient? If the Department felt such a project was necessary in 1998 and if it has been shown to be so successful it has been adopted by the Norwegian Government, why have we not allowed it to expand to the extra 140 schools? It is not even a huge financial burden. Why could we not find €26,000 in the resources of the Department of Education and Science to allow for a video that has also been successful to go out to schools? Why can we not facilitate some level of in-service training to allow this to roll out?

Photo of Mary HanafinMary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I personally have noticed a distinct change since I was a Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science with special responsibility for children on the whole issue of bullying. When I visited schools then, bullying was the number one issue but now in any of my dealings with the children whom we have consulted it does not come up as an issue. That is striking and the reason for that is it is being tackled at school level — because children are more aware of it, more vocal about it and involved in it, they are not highlighting it as a problem while realising they must deal with it.

Photo of Olwyn EnrightOlwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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That is anecdotal.

Photo of Mary HanafinMary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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No. This is as a result of the various policies, seminars, guidelines that have been issued, the pilot projects that exist and the fact that all schools are now required to have an anti-bullying policy. The best way to deal with this is in the context of the code of behaviour of the individual school which would be signed up to by staff, parents and children. That makes the penalties and sanctions clear to each student and informs him or her of the attitude of the school to bullying and it is having a real impact.

I am familiar with the anti-bullying programme in Trinity College, which is one of many pilot projects. The Cool School anti-bullying project in the former North Eastern Health Board area is being implemented in 80% of schools in Counties Meath, Louth, Cavan and Monaghan and the pilot project from the Navan Education Centre is also being extended.

The Trinity College programme was funded by my Department based on the Norwegian model. Last year, well into the academic year, after the school in-service programme had been arranged, the TCD centre sought funding to be included in this year and it was far too late to do it. Last year, during the summer, we gave approval, despite a late application, to run a summer course in Trinity College for preventing and countering bullying behaviour in schools' practical intervention work.

We are open to considering all programmes that might be of benefit. It is important this is done in conjunction with the SPHE programme and the schools' development planning initiative to support all of the work being undertaken. At the end of 2004, DCU also published research on bullying and the effect of the anti-bullying measures.