Cabinet Secretary for Education Kirsty Williams today called for young people, parents, teachers and others to help shape the Welsh Government’s new guidance to tackle bullying in schools.
This was published under the 2016 to 2021 administration of the Welsh Government
Speaking at a workshop in Ysgol y Grango, Wrexham to mark Anti-Bullying Week, the Cabinet Secretary called for young people, in particular, to have their say on the draft of Respecting Others, the Welsh Government’s anti bullying guidance which was published this week.
Produced following engagement with schools; local authorities; education practitioners; Estyn; the Children’s Commissioner for Wales; and children and young people, the document provides clarity on what is and is not bullying; sets out the roles and responsibilities; and outlines how it is supported by broader Welsh, UK and international policy.
It is designed to be user friendly in terms of content and design and will be complemented by an online, interactive toolkit of easily accessible resources.
The guidance and online toolkit will be published, taking into account the consultation feedback, next year.
The Cabinet Secretary said:
“This week is Anti-Bullying Week. It’s an opportunity for us to send a loud and clear message that we won’t tolerate bullying in our education system. We must all make it clear that all types of bullying are unacceptable. This is something we can only tackle if we’re all working together.
“We all need to ensure the values of respect, tolerance and kindness form part of our school communities and cultures. This will help us to create an inclusive and engaging environment where everyone‘s wellbeing is considered and everyone feels accepted, safe and ready to learn.
“For this new guidance to be fully effective it is vital that children and young people are involved in this consultation – I want to hear your thoughts on what is needed. Your feedback really matters – it will help us to get the guidance right and make sure that we’re challenging bullying in schools across Wales in the right way.
“It‘s only by working together towards this common goal that we can really challenge bullying in our schools.”