You will have seen the debate unfolding in the media yesterday and today around dealing with bullying in schools. The AEU's position is that Liberal Party leader Matthew Guy is engaging in cheap politicking that doesn't acknowledge the amount of work already being done in government schools to address bullying.
Matthew Guy is proposing principals expel children who are struggling in their learning environment. But when a school community labels a child a ‘bully’ and expels them without being able to provide appropriate support, it can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
As principals well know, it is often the children who are experiencing trauma at home that act out and need additional support. What works is keeping them engaged with learning.
Many schools are already working with the Alannah and Madeline Foundation, alongside other local community health organisations and groups.
Programs like Respectful Relationships and Safe Schools are helping principals and teachers proactively address bullying.
While Safe Schools remains a popular punching bag for the Liberal Party, the soon-to-be-published annual AEU Benchmark poll reveals that only 27% of Victorians are in favour of scrapping Safe Schools.
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