-by Shamiah Grant
The Ministry of Education has wrapped up its National Anti-Bullying and Anti-Violence Nationwide Consultation and is now working with multiple agencies to finalize a comprehensive policy for schools across the country.
Education Minister Sonia Parag says the Ministry is partnering with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security to draft the measures, which will become mandatory Standard Operating Procedures in the school system once finalised.
“But we’ve encouraged all headmistresses, all headteachers, to at assembly every morning, speak about this particular issue. We have been placing posters, and had students actually involved in the placement of those posters in strategic areas in their schools,” she said.
The policies are expected to set enforceable guidelines aimed at curbing violence and bullying in schools.
“Well, eventually we would like a legislation, but of course that will be the final stage. But at the moment, I think that having policies and something to work with in the school system is necessary, and so the first phase of that would be policies that can be SOPs,” she added.
Parag says the rollout of the new Civic and Moral Education curriculum across all school levels will reinforce the initiative by promoting positive behaviour and character development.