More than 1,000 recommendations and suggestions have been submitted since the Ministry of Education launched its nationwide Anti-Bullying and Anti-Violence Consultations.
This was according to Minister of Education Sonia Parag, as the final regional consultation was held on Tuesday, at the Mahaicony Technical and Vocational Training Centre, Region Five.
The recommendations, gathered through in-person consultations and the ministry’s online platform, will be reviewed by a multi-agency task force and used to formulate policies and standard operating procedures to create safer school environments.
The minister also issued a clarion call for stronger supervision by Headteachers (HMs) and the timely reporting of incidents to the Ministry of Education, stressing that schools must play a more proactive role in preventing bullying and violence.
“I would like to see more authority being exercised in the schools,” Minister Parag said, while calling for increased accountability and early intervention from school administrators and teachers.
The minister further emphasised that bullying and violence cannot be addressed by the education sector alone, noting that parents, communities and government agencies all have a responsibility to shape positive behaviour among children.
She stressed that no child is born with violent tendencies and that behaviours are often learned through the environments in which children grow and develop.
Minister Parag said the government will now compile the recommendations from all ten regional consultations before working with its multi-agency task force to develop policies that protect students and promote safer schools across Guyana.