As you are aware, I launched Cineáltas: Action Plan on Bullying in December 2022. Cineáltas is the Department’s whole-education approach to preventing and addressing bullying behavior in schools. Cineáltas is dedicated to the prevention and addressing of bullying, cyber bullying, racist bullying, gender identity bullying and sexual harassment, among other areas, in schools.
Cineáltas is centred on a child right’s based approach and provides a collective vision and clear roadmap for how the whole education community and society can work together to prevent and address bullying in our schools. Cineáltas incorporates each of the nine components of UNESCO’s Whole Education Approach to prevent and address bullying. It is rooted in four key principles: prevention, support, oversight and community. An implementation plan for Cineáltas was published on 10 April 2023 and commits to implementing each of the 61 actions contained in Cineáltas within a 5 year period.
I am committed to preventing and addressing bullying in schools, and through the implementation of Cineáltas we can work together towards a diverse, inclusive Irish society free from bullying in all its forms and where all our children and young people can feel happy and safe in our schools.
Work is well underway to implement many of the actions contained in Cineáltas and I have established an Implementation and Evaluation Group, chaired by the Secretary General of the Department, Bernie McNally, to oversee implementation.
A new Junior Cycle SPHE/RSE specification was published in May 2023 and is scheduled to be implemented in post-primary schools in September 2024.
A post-graduate programme for SPHE/RSE post-primary teachers in DCU has commenced with the first intake of 34 teachers since Feb 2023. A second intake commenced in January 2024, with up to 70 places on the course.
The Report on the Review of the 2013 Action Plan on Bullying and the Development of the Action Plan on Bullying was published in December 2023
A new inspection model is being developed under Cineáltas to assess whether a school has appropriate strategies in place to promote wellbeing, prevent and address bullying, and promote a positive and inclusive school culture. This new inspection model is being piloted in schools this year.
A key action contained in Cineáltas is to review and update the anti-bullying procedures for schools which were published in 2013. The procedures are being updated to take account of gender identity bullying, cyberbullying, racist bullying, sexist bullying, and sexual harassment. The procedures will focus on prevention strategies for schools and on supporting schools to address bullying behavior.
The procedures will reference the current legal basis within which schools function today, taking account of new legislation such as Coco’s Law. The procedures will include updated guidance for schools on where bullying behaviour escalates to criminal behaviour and on when bullying behaviour becomes a child protection concern.
Schools will be required to develop their anti-bullying policy in consultation with the entire school community, which includes school staff, students, parents and the school’s board of management. Schools will be required to regularly review their records of bullying behaviour to discern emerging trends, identify key learning and to consider what measures could be taken to prevent re-occurrence. It is intended that the Bí Cineálta procedures will be published in the coming months with CPD/training being made available for all school staff, boards of management and parents.
The Education (Welfare) Act 2000 sets out certain matters that must be included in a code of behaviour which include the standards of behaviour that shall be observed by each student attending the school and the measure that may be taken when a student fails or refuses to observe those standards.
As part of Cineáltas, Tusla Education Support Service (TESS) is currently undertaking a review of the 2008
Developing a Code of Behaviour Guidelines for Schools to ensure that schools have sufficient tools to address bullying issues as they arise.
The updated Code of Behaviour guidelines will include updated information for schools relating to behaviour matters which include the involvement of an Garda Síochána.
It is expected that these new guidelines will be published by TESS in the coming months.
