The EIS has welcomed the publication of the Scottish Government’s updated anti-bullying guidance.

The publication, entitled Respect for All, is helpful in that it aims to ensure a consistency of approach to tackling all forms of bullying of children and young people, including that which is prejudice-based, not only in schools but across all sectors and communities.

Commenting on publication of the guidance, EIS General Secretary Andrea Bradley said, “Bullying is never acceptable, in any walk of life, and this is especially the case in our schools, which strive to provide a welcoming, nurturing and safe environment for children and young people from all backgrounds.

“The impact of bullying on victims can be profound and have devastating long-term consequences in all aspects of their lives. Schools take all forms of bullying extremely seriously, and seek to tackle such behaviour quickly and decisively whenever it arises.”

Ms Bradley continued, “Most schools across the country will already have their own guidance in place and the EIS would expect, in the context of an empowered school, that schools, parents, teachers and pupils would all be involved in the development of policy – to ensure that there is full ownership of the anti-bullying approach which will be adopted on a whole-school basis.”

Ms Bradley added, “The most important step that can be taken to help tackle bullying in our schools and the implementation of the early intervention and prevention strategies rightly advocated in the guidance, is the deployment of additional staff, including the delivery of the Scottish Government’s manifesto commitment to recruit 3,500 additional teachers during the course of this Parliament to ensure that children and young people can benefit from smaller class sizes and more individual support.”