I raise this issue at this time because it is usually at this time of year that parents whose children are being expelled from school are informed of this decision by school principals. This is sometimes the first indication to the parent that their child is troublesome and they have only the summer period in which to get their child into another school. When other schools hear that a child has been suspended or expelled they do not want to take in that child.
It is estimated that 27 per cent of all school-going children may be affected, either actively or passively, by bullying. Much work has been done in schools to counter this problem but much remains to be done. All too often both the victim and the perpetrator end up outside the school system in that the victim may decide to leave school and the bully is very often suspended or expelled. We must deal with this problem rather than push it aside. Currently the only method of dealing with badly behaved children is to suspend or expel them. This method does not serve the child, his family or the wider community. Many children who are expelled, particularly those with behavioural problems, are unable to find alternative accommodation in other schools and receive no support or treatment for their problems. Suspensions and expulsions are not the solution and we should not consider them as such because the child is merely moved from one community to another. Badly behaved children often experience greater problems later in life. It is unacceptable that we should as a society treat children with behavioural difficulties in this way.
As a short term measure school principals should be required to inform the Department of Education on a monthly basis of all children suspended and expelled. That would deal with the problem as it arises. Such notification would enable us for the first time to compile figures and proceed from a factual basis. The Department of Education and the Department of Justice must adopt a co-ordinated approach to dealing with children whose behaviour may put themselves and others at risk. Such cases are often reported in newspapers and the problem should be dealt with in a worthwhile way.
The first step towards such an approach would be the establishment of an interdepartmental review group. In the longer term we must establish specialised classes with teachers specially geared towards the problems of children with behavioural difficulties. Such children should be treated as having special needs in the same way as children with learning difficulties or mental handicap. In a recent court case the Department of Education was told it should provide places for mildly mentally handicapped children with behavioural difficulties. These children need special attention within the school system.
I hope that many of these problems will be dealt with by the juvenile justice Bill. It is regrettable this legislation has not been progressed by the Government. These problems should be dealt with before the start of the new school year rather than waiting for the introduction of legislation. All children with behavioural problems will not, and should not, come under the remit of the juvenile justice Bill. Unless the problem is addressed we will continue to hear stories such as that of the young Waterford boy. There are cases of bullying in every county and unless we address the problem we will continue to expel difficult children as a first rather than a last resort and we will continue to export the problem from our schools onto our streets, where it will have to be dealt with it at some stage.
A co-ordinated effort must be made by the various agencies. The Minister should set up an interdepartmental review group while the problem is manageable, before we get to the stage where the only solution will be imprisonment.
