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Quinn urged to enforce anti-bullying programme for schools
on 01/11/2012 00:00:00
Training for the scheme, which has already been implemented in some schools, is provided to groups of anti-bullying school co-ordinators who can then train their colleagues and ensure the programme is implemented as soon as possible.
The National Anti-Bullying Coalition (NABC) wants Mr Quinn to use his authority as minister to implement an anti-bullying programme that is at least as effective as that devised by Mr Fallon and Ms Kent.
"So please, Minister Quinn, use the authority you already have under the Education Act to initiate the end of this misery for students and their families now," said a spokesperson for NABC.
"For some of our teenagers, there is no time to lose, and next year may be too late"
NABC is concerned that nothing had changed since a national anti-bullying forum was held in May.
It had hoped that the forum would lead to the speedy implementation of a national programme to deal with the problem of bullying.
It also is also concerned that a working group on bullying established by Mr Quinn over the summer will take at least a year to complete its deliberations.
"This raises short-term concerns about the fact that nothing has changed in the schools right now and, in the meantime, two teenage girls have died by suicide as a result of bullying since September," said NABC.
Mr Quinn said he wanted the working group to deal with homophobic bullying first in order to fulfil the commitment in the Programme for Government.
NABC questioned Mr Quinn's decision and said experts on the issue agreed that various forms of bullying should be dealt with together.
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