Noel Ahern
Ceist:6 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Education if the review of bullying guidelines has been completed; and if she intends to fundamentally reconsider her Department's policy on the phenomenon. [10183/97]
Other Questions. - Review of Bullying Guidelines.
John O'Donoghue
Ceist:9 Mr. O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education if the review of bullying guidelines has been completed; and if she intends to fundamentally reconsider her Department's policy on the phenomenon. [10189/97]
Denis Foley
Ceist:12 Mr. Foley asked the Minister for Education if the review of bullying guidelines has been completed; and if she intends to fundamentally reconsider her Department's policy on the phenomenon. [10188/97]
Micheál Martin
Ceist:22 Mr. Martin asked the Minister for Education if the review of bullying guidelines has been completed; and if she intends to fundamentally reconsider her Department's policy on the phenomenon. [10181/97]
Liam Aylward
Ceist:23 Mr. Aylward asked the Minister for Education if the review of bullying guidelines has been completed; and if she intends to fundamentally reconsider her Department's policy on the phenomenon. [10191/97]
Séamus Hughes
Ceist:31 Mr. Hughes asked the Minister for Education if the review of bullying guidelines has been completed; and if she intends to fundamentally reconsider her Department's policy on the phenomenon. [10186/97]
Ned O'Keeffe
Ceist:40 Mr. E. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Education if the review of bullying guidelines has been completed; and if she intends to fundamentally reconsider her Department's policy on the phenomenon. [10182/97]
John O'Leary
Ceist:42 Mr. O'Leary asked the Minister for Education if the review of bullying guidelines has been completed; and if she intends to fundamentally reconsider her Department's policy on the phenomenon. [10190/97]
Joe Walsh
Ceist:48 Mr. J. Walsh asked the Minister for Education if the review of bullying guidelines has been completed; and if she intends to fundamentally reconsider her Department's policy on the phenomenon. [10185/97]
Seamus Kirk
Ceist:49 Mr. Kirk asked the Minister for Education if the review of bullying guidelines has been completed; and if she intends to fundamentally reconsider her Department's policy on the phenomenon. [10184/97]
Patrick J. Morley
Ceist:53 Mr. Morley asked the Minister for Education if the review of bullying guidelines has been completed; and if she intends to fundamentally reconsider her Department's policy on the phenomenon. [10187/97]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 6, 9, 12, 22, 23, 31, 40, 42, 48, 49 and 53 together.
Guidelines on countering bullying behaviour in primary and second level schools were issued by my Department to schools in 1993. The policy as outlined in the guidelines was prepared following consideration of this complex and difficult problem by an expert working group and following consultation with the partners in education. The purpose of the guidelines is to assist schools in devising school-based measures to prevent and deal with bullying behaviour and to increase awareness of it in the school community as a whole.
I am reviewing the current guidelines on countering bullying behaviour. This review is a collaborative exercise involving the Department and the partners in education. I have sought the views of the partners and I understand that they are involved in internal consultations before finalising their input to this review.
I expect that the considered views of all of the partners will be available shortly. It is my intention that the review will be finalised during the current year.
I asked a similar question some months ago and I was told the review was under way. Is the term "bullying" which developed over the years being considered? There are victims on both sides because children engaged in bullying obviously have difficulties or behavioural problems which require assistance. This area must be reconsidered because there is a danger that children will be isolated at an early age by the stereotypical approach of classifying children. This could have a detrimental effect on such children's chances in the future.
Will additional resources be made available to schools in the form of extra psychologists? The waiting list for assessments is very long and children who engage in unacceptable behaviour must wait months before they are assessed in an effort to try to understand their problems. The review will be useless unless there is a determined attempt to give schools the necessary resources to enable a multi-disciplinary approach, involving psychologists, home-school-liaison services and remedial teachers, to be adopted.
I am not sure that using a term other than "bullying" would contribute to the debate. The days of dismissing complaints about bullying by telling children to stand up for themselves in the school yard are gone. Such incidents were discussed on radio programmes until relatively recently but as Mr. John Mulcahy, the president of the ASTI, said, the growth of awareness and the increased prevalence in schools of effective anti-bullying campaigns should be welcomed. Ireland is to the fore in producing written guidelines. The expert group led the way. We were privileged to have Dr. Mona O'Moore of Trinity College, an international expert on bullying, participate in the expert group. The findings of her research were taken into consideration in drawing up the guidelines.
The position is changing. There is a realisation that it is not acceptable to bully other children. Research shows that children who bully have difficulties and problems; it is not natural for humans to engage in such behaviour. While we should be concerned if our child is bullied, we should equally be concerned about the child who bullies and should examine the causes. I have asked the partners in education to make submissions to me.
A number of initiatives have been taken which are of help in tackling the problem. Teacher-counsellors have been appointed under a pilot scheme to deal with unruly children who bully and form gangs. The scheme is being monitored and evaluated by the Education Research Centre. The psychological service is also being developed. Parents can be confident that, when established, the regional education boards will have a statutory obligation to provide these services.
Without resources.
The Deputy referred to the home-school-community liaison service. At the Easter conferences there was discussion of the bullying of adults as well as children. Satisfactory progress is being made. Dr. Maeve Martin has completed the research I commissioned on good practice in school discipline. It has been favourably received. The partners in education have taken on the function of drawing up codes of practice. I made Dr. Martin's report available at the Easter conferences. It is now widely available throughout the system.
We are awaiting the submission of the ASTI. It has asked for an extension which has been granted. We will then be in a position to consider proposals. The term "bullying", to which the Deputy referred, may be the subject of one of the recommendations.
The Trinity research shows that the level of bullying in our schools and generally is much higher than we assumed. This is disturbing and it has made those involved in the education system re-examine their attitude to the problem. Does the Minister believe that the level of psychological support in our schools for those who have suffered as well as for bullies, who are undoubtedly disturbed in some way, is adequate? This is critical in dealing with the problem. If many of these children have to wait until the regional education boards are established, they will be well past school leaving age. There is a requirement to provide immediately a psychological service which is responsive to the needs of our children.
The research to which the Deputy referred shows that 34 per cent of the third class students surveyed never told anyone they had been bullied. This sets down a marker and presents a challenge to those involved in the primary school system. At second level there was a figure as high as 82 per cent. While I agree with the Deputy on the important role played by the psychological service, my priority is to ensure it does not go unnoticed that a child is being bullied. There is a need to make parents aware that bullying is not an acceptable form of behaviour in the classroom. To this end an increasing number of schools are being declared bully free zones.
The number of career guidance teachers has been increased substantially. Counselling is an important part of their training. Students tend to avail of their services in the run-up to examinations. The stay safe programme is being implemented also. Therefore, the environment is changing as a result of curricular change, the provision of support services and the development of the psychological service.
The Deputy has again presumed that the regional education boards will be a new layer of bureaucracy. It will be their function to deliver education services, in which the Government will continue to invest, on a regional basis.
The ratio of psychologists to pupils at primary level is 1:35,000 and 1:18,000 at post-primary level. The level of resources is inadequate to allow the education system help children with behavioural problems who require intervention at an early age. Some of the children end up on the streets, while others are expelled or suspended as schools have to have regard to the overall quality of education for all pupils. The issue of discipline and how we cope with behavioural problems has been ignored during the past four years. The psychological service, in particular, has been neglected.
The available resources are being well used, although further investment in services to which the Government is committed would be welcomed by the Minister as well as the Deputies opposite.