NO PLACE FOR BULLYING IN OUR SCHOOLS

GRACE GRACE

THERE is no place for bullying or violence in our schools.

Every student has a right to feel safe and supported when they walk through the school gates.

Any situation which threatens a student’s safety or wellbeing is treated extremely seriously and dealt with as a matter of priority.

I support principals in taking a firm stance on bullying and violence.

Clear standards of behaviour and expectations are outlined for all state school students in their school’s Responsible Behaviour Plan.

I encourage anyone with concerns to reach out to the principal or a teacher so that the issue can be addressed promptly and appropriately.

Our government is committed to ensuring the wellbeing, health and happiness of all young Queenslanders.

We know that our schools are not immune to the community-wide issue of bullying and we know it requires a community-wide approach.

Just last week, I had the pleasure of meeting with 16 student representatives for my first Ministerial Student Advisory Council Meeting, where we discussed the issue of bullying and cyber bullying.

The group includes a Year 9 student from Varsity College, Gold Coast.

Students openly shared their experiences, thoughts and feelings about what can be done to prevent and address bullying, including cyber bullying.

Their feedback and ideas will be progressed to the Queensland Anti-Bullying and Cyber Bullying Taskforce to help inform government policy.

I will continue to work with students and school communities to see a zero tolerance for bullying and cyber bullying in our state.

State school students have access to a range of services to support their wellbeing, including guidance officers, youth support co-ordinators, school-based youth health nurses and chaplains.

Schools offer a range of anti-bullying programs such as Respectful Relationships and the National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence.

The department also has a dedicated team to assist schools to respond to and prevent online issues, and provide general cyber safety and cyber bullying information to parents and students.