Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 98: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will introduce mainstream anti-bullying programmes into schools in view of the success of pilot programmes in certain areas and the growing concern at the prevalence of bullying in schools here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27676/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The social, personal and health education programme and the school development planning initiative are two important mainstream national programmes of support for schools. Both play a central role in assisting schools in a co-ordinated and cohesive manner to deal with the problem of bullying. In recent years, several pilot programmes have also addressed this issue. Pilot programmes are utilised as a means of informing possible new initiatives or how best existing provision may be improved upon. The function of pilot programmes is to test and evaluate different ideas and approaches to aid and enhance existing provision. Pilot programmes, when completed, are evaluated for programme content, effectiveness and appropriateness and the recommendations and findings are considered in developing existing programmes and structures which are designed to meet the needs of schools at local level.

The issue of bullying in schools and the Department of Education and Science has in place a multifaceted strategy to tackle the issue. The education of students in both primary and post-primary schools on anti-bullying behaviour is a central part of the social, personal and health education curriculum. It is now a compulsory subject both at primary level and in the junior cycle of post-primary schools. The social, personal and health education 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 social, personal and health education curriculum in the strand, Myself and Others, from infant classes onwards. In second level education, the issue of bullying is addressed from first year onwards in the social, personal and health education curriculum at junior cycle, in the module, Belonging and Integrating. The 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.