Created on: 13 Nov 2024
The EIS has welcomed the publication of the Scottish Government’s updated anti-bullying guidance.
The publication, entitled Respect for All, is helpful in that it aims to ensure a consistency of approach to tackling all forms of bullying of children and young people, including that which is prejudice-based, not only in schools but across all sectors and communities.
Commenting on publication of the guidance, EIS General Secretary Andrea Bradley said, "Bullying is never acceptable, in any walk of life, and this is especially the case in our schools, which strive to provide a welcoming, nurturing and safe environment for children and young people from all backgrounds.
"The impact of bullying on victims can be profound and have devastating long-term consequences in all aspects of their lives. Schools take all forms of bullying extremely seriously, and seek to tackle such behaviour quickly and decisively whenever it arises."
Ms Bradley continued, "Most schools across the country will already have their own guidance in place and the EIS would expect, in the context of an empowered school, that schools, parents, teachers and pupils would all be involved in the development of policy – to ensure that there is full ownership of the anti-bullying approach which will be adopted on a whole-school basis."
However, Ms Bradley added, "The guidance seeks to engender a consistency of approach to tackling bullying across Scotland, such as in the recording and reporting of incidents, including those which are prejudiced-based. This is a welcome inclusion and underpins the need to address the rise in prejudice-based incidents, particularly misogyny, highlighted in the 2023 Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research.
"However, this will have resource implications for schools. Teachers are already massively over-burdened by their existing workload demands, working on average in excess of 11 extra hours over their contracted hours every week. To implement the guidance effectively, therefore, additional resourcing will be required to provide teachers and school staff with the time to record and report as outlined in the report."
Ms Bradley continued, "There must also be the requisite resources available to ensure appropriate interventions can be put in place to address the underlying cause of the bullying behaviour, which can often be complex and to ensure that there are adequate supports in place for those who have been the victim of bullying."
Ms Bradley added, "The most important step that can be taken to help tackle bullying in our schools and the implementation of the early intervention and prevention strategies rightly advocated in the guidance, is the deployment of additional staff, including the delivery of the Scottish Government’s manifesto commitment to recruit 3,500 additional teachers during the course of this Parliament to ensure that children and young people can benefit from smaller class sizes and more individual support.
"In an education system where schools are still working to overcome the many impacts of the pandemic on young people, more resources and more staff are needed to tackle issues such as bullying, no matter where it occurs or what form in takes. It is in the best interests of all young people, and of Scottish society, for challenging issues such as bullying to be properly addressed."