A €5 million scheme to trial counselling supports for pupils in primary schools is to be introduced in the second half of this year, as part of a Department of Education plan to tackle bullying.
The plan also includes a commitment to hire more psychologists who work with schools, as well as having schools overhaul anti-bullying policies.
Late last year Minister for Education Norma Foley launched an anti-bullying strategy for schools, called “Cineáltas” or kindness, which followed months of consultation with children, parents and school staff.
A department plan for how the strategy will be put in place, published on Monday, stated a pilot programme of counselling supports in primary schools will be introduced in the second half of this year. The results of the trial will then be evaluated by officials at the start of 2024.
The anti-bullying plan also commits to hiring more psychologists in the National Educational Psychological Service, which works with schools.
Schools that put in place measures to prevent bullying will be awarded a “Cineáltas flag” by the department, similar to green flags for environmental policies.
Secondary schools will be required to have “student support teams” in place, as well as assign a designated staff member to promote wellbeing.
Department inspections in future will also include the views of children and parents on how well the school tackles bullying.
Under the plan, teaching courses at university will have a “renewed focus” on how student teachers can learn to spot and prevent bullying, racism and sexism in the classroom.
The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment is to this year publish a revised list of texts for English at Leaving Cert level, which “positively represents the diversity of society”.
The department also plans to publish new guidance for schools on how they can record alleged incidents of bullying, as well as what response was taken.
This will allow the department to publish an annual report based on this database of bullying in schools, with the first report due at the end of 2025.
An expert group has been set up to advise officials, which is led by Prof Laura Lundy, whose work focuses on education law and children’s rights at Queen’s University Belfast.
Commenting on the plan, Ms Foley said she was “keenly aware” of the harm bullying could do to young people.
“We need to focus on prevention, providing support to every school community, improving oversight and awareness at all levels and working together as a community with a renewed sense of partnership and Cineáltas towards each other,” she said.
