FROM THE EDITOR

This week we have a letter from a brave student at a college in the Wellington region.

The person wrote a public article about how horrible it was for them to go to school because of verbal bullying.

‘‘I should be able to go to school every day and not burst into tears when I get home,’’ they wrote.

No child in our region should be feeling this way, yet sadly bullying is still rife in many schools.

It’s not always obvious, there are often no visible scars or bruises and victims may not have the courage to come forward.

Bullying needs to be a focus. It’s not enough to talk about a ‘‘zero tolerance’’ or claim it isn’t a problem in your school. Actions speak louder than words.

Teachers need to be seen to be actively tackling all forms of bullying so victims know that if they come forward they will be believed, helped and that the issue will stop.

No child should go home crying.

AmyJackman