Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 2 Dec 1998

Vol. 497 No. 6

Written Answers - Bullying at School.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

256 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of complaints of school bullying which his Department has been made aware of in the past twelve months; the action, if any, taken in these cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26087/98]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Martin):

The board of management is the body charged with the direct governance of primary schools. In 1993 my Department issued Guidelines on Countering Bullying Behaviour to all primary and post-primary schools. The purpose of the guidelines was to assist schools in devising school based measures to prevent and deal with instances of bullying behaviour and to increase the awareness of the problem among school management, staff, pupils and parents. A further circular in 1994 reminded school authorities of their responsibility in formulating a written code of behaviour and discipline which should include specific measures to counter bullying behaviour.

Thus, individual school management authorities are responsible for implementing effective policies to counter bullying in schools. Management authorities are not required to notify my Department of bullying cases in their schools.

The Department receives telephone calls on a regular basis regarding reports of alleged instances of bullying. These calls are informal inquiries and as such are not pursued by the Department unless the complaints procedure is implemented. My Department investigates specific complaints which involve an alleged breach of the rules for national schools, including bullying complaints, but only after every effort has been made to resolve the matter at local level.