EDUCATION chiefs are throwing the spotlight on bullying in advance of a big Government push to cut schoolyard persecution.

At a meeting today, Cumbria County Council's schools watchdog committee was deciding whether to stage a major conference bringing school leaders around the table to

discuss ways to stop the bullies.

Meanwhile, Douglas Thomson, CCC's principal educational psychologist, is scrutinising a sample of school anti-bullying policies to ensure they comply with Government guidelines and to find examples of good practice.

The countywide action follows concerns raised by county councillors and precedes the Department of Education and Skills' new £470 million Behaviour and Attendance

programme due to start in the autumn. Funding and training for anti-bullying strategies are included in the DfES initiative.

"All pupils have the right to feel safe, happy and included in school, to work in an environment without harassment, intimidation and fear. That's what we owe our children," said Mr Thomson, commenting on the importance of tackling bullying.

Whilst there is not a particular bullying problem in Cumbria, he believes it is fairly common, as it is everywhere else in the country.

Mr Thomson stressed that schools had the ultimate responsibility for ensuring pupils were not harassing each other but through its actions the local education authority was keen to put together a framework to support schools' anti-bullying efforts and to check the effectiveness of their policies.

In fresh guidance notes issued later this year, Mr Thomson expects to pass on tips from schools which have

successfully introduced novel tactics to help pupils deal with bullying.

Examples will include a secondary school which has set up an e-mail helpline so youngsters can seek advice with the anonymity of the internet. Another school has given sixth

formers counselling training so they can offer a friendly ear and useful guidance to pupils who may be the victims or perpetrators of bullying.

May 21, 2003 09:00