Anti-bullying campaign to be rolled out in schools - Green
Published:Tuesday | November 20, 2018 | 12:00 AM
Recognising bullying as a significant problem in schools islandwide, state minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Floyd Green, has signalled his intention to work alongside the National Secondary Students' Council (NSSC) as his ministry executes an anti-bullying campaign in the nation's schools.
"It is a real problem and it is a problem that we don't speak a lot of, but it is problem that more and more we are getting significant complaints about - the prevalence of bullying right across our high schools," Green said.
"I have met with my team at the Child Protection and Family Services Agency and we are going to be rolling out an anti-bullying campaign, but I don't think it will be effective if we don't have the NSSC team on board."
Green was speaking on Tuesday at the inauguration ceremony for the NSSC 2018-2019 held at the University of the West Indies Regional Headquarters, St Andrew.
Another cause for concern for the state minister is that of cyberbullying, which he said has a negative impact on the mental health of children.
"Oftentimes people get their most courage when they are behind their phone or a computer and feel like they can say anything. They can make people feel anyway and nothing will happen. And a lot of children, because of it, are truly suffering from severe bouts of depression, so all of this is linked," he said as he challenged the new NSSC to help his ministry to find ways to treat with the issues identified.
He said the NSSC influenced changes in the past, having prompted the revision of the suspension policy and the introduction of the Dress and Grooming Guidelines for Students in Schools in September.
STUDENT ADVOCATES
Bearing that in mind, the state minister charged the council to take their role as student advocates seriously.
"You must never feel that is just for show or that this is just for position or that you may talk and not be listened to. This is a very different world that we are operating in," Green said.
He added, "I tell you from where I sit at the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, we take whatever you have to say very seriously. So we want you to give serious thought to whatever you are going to say," said Green.