A national inquiry into the scale of bullying should be undertaken by ministers because of fears that the problem is being downplayed by schools seeking to protect their reputations, a report demands today. New guidance is also needed to ensure that victims who dare to fight back are not suspended or expelled.
Bullying exposes one of the worst aspects of human nature...only the very callus; or Colonel Blimp types ("Bullying made me the man I am today...hrumph"; or perhaps bullies themselves can have too much of a problem with anything that might reduce its scale or help its victims.
However, in the midst of the articles and reports doing the rounds today are a number of interesting points...
the problem is being downplayed by schools seeking to protect their reputations
Do we have any evidence to that effect...or is it just another round of teacher bashing?
Government advice says that bullying includes name-calling, taunting, mocking, making offensive comments, kicking, hitting, pushing, taking belongings and "inappropriate text messaging and emailing" or sending offensive or degrading images by phone or internet. But the MPs called for additional guidance on "difficult issues" such as the use of homophobic language and subtle forms of bullying.
Does that mean that all (for example) name-calling is bullying? And why is name-calling in reference to someones sexuality a "difficult issue" whereas (presumably) calling someone "four-eyes" is simple? And if so, could they explain the difference...
And from the BBCs reporting of the same...
There had been "very little evidence" underpinning current guidance - and the lack of accurate, reliable data was a barrier to more effective work, the report said.
The problem is, of course, that these days "bullying" has become one of those words with a flexible definition. It all depends on who is using it.
It is used by pupils trying to get out of punishments because of their own behaviour, it is used by savvy parents who have discovered that its use will get the ear of the headteacher and it is used by interest groups to get their particular issue publicised.
It remains a hugely difficult subject to either analyse or confront.
One thing is certain, though. In a world where teachers are already drowning in a sea of administration this...
The Department for Education and Skills should require schools to record all incidents, said the report into bullying from the House of Commons Education Select Committee.
...will do nothing other than give teachers even less time to actually do something about the problem
government education bullying schools
1 comments:
Keep up the good work.
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