The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) has decided to tackle the problem of bullying in schools head on. It has suggested that schools adopt six measures to deal with students who pick on their peers. These include teachers giving an oral or a written warning, suspension from attending school or classes for a specific time period and withholding or cancelling results.
More extreme measures include a fine, and in the rarest of rare cases, expulsion.
The move comes after a class nine student of a Bengaluru school committed suicide in July this year after he was allegedly bullied. The note put up on the CISCE website identified bullying as a ‘major problem’. It states that the responsibility of preventing bullying and ragging rests on all stakeholders— head of the institution, teacher, non-teaching staff, students, parents and the local community.
The note also states that it is the responsibility of the school to ensure that ‘the post-bullying atmosphere is calmed down’ and that neither the victim nor the bully is branded, but instead given an opportunity to pursue education in a safe environment. This can be done through the appointment of counsellors in school.
In residential schools, where children spend a better part of the year in hostels and classrooms, it’s important to have trained counsellors and staff.
It has said that schools need to take up adolescent education, life skills education, gender sensitivity and other such initiatives. These can be in the form of debates, poster contests, theatre and group discussions. Anti-bullying campaigns also may be conducted.
Besides school-level interventions, the circular also states that there is a need to make interventions at the district and State levels. State-level plans include developing an action plan covering both prevention and intervention measures.
It has also said that the anti-bullying policy should be integrated in the State education policy. It has also said that a State-level monitoring agency and monitoring mechanism need to be established to ensure that every case of bullying is brought to its logical conclusion. It has also suggested setting up an anti-bullying helpline.
The move has been welcomed by both parents and school managements.
“Bullying can have serious implications for a child and can leave a lasting impression on the individual. Besides affecting academics, it also interferes with the child’s psychology and can have detrimental effects. It is important to curb it in the initial stages so that it doesn’t become life threatening,” said B. Gayatri Devi, principal, Little Flower Public School in Banashankari.
What can be called bullying ?
- Physical intimidation or attack
- Verbal abuse
- Unwanted attention and advances
- Damaging property
- Spreading malicious rumours
- Sending unpleasant messages, photographs or emails online
Preventive measures
Schools need to:
- Display signs saying that bullying is strictly prohibited inside their premises and that no such act will go unnoticed or unpunished.
- Enable students to report victimisation. Schools may keep a complaint or a suggestion box.
- Have a clear-cut method for intervention and a response system. The responsibility of the school authority and administration needs to be defined. Implication of neglect must also be defined.
- Teacher training curriculum should include prevention of bullying in schools.
- The role of parents must be specified at Parent-Teacher meetings.
