Anti-bullying clubs, expanded counselling services and peer advocacy programmes are among 1,000 recommendations being considered to strengthen how schools respond to bullying and violence.
According to a release, the Ministry of Education said the impactful recommendations submitted will help shape a new national Anti-Bullying and Anti-Violence Policy in schools.
The recommendations were garnered from widespread consultations with parents, teachers and community stakeholders.
At a final consultation on Tuesday at the Mahaicony Technical and Vocational Training Centre in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), participants also called for community-led programmes to instil discipline, camaraderie and sportsmanship in students. Other recommendations made during the wider course of the consultation included stricter sanctions for repeat offenders, such as community service or the withholding of school cash grants.
Education Minister Sonia Parag said the submissions will be examined by a multi-agency task force comprising the Ministries of Home Affairs and Human Services and Social Security, with the aim of producing a standardised national framework to address bullying and school violence.
She said the policy will cover both physical aggression and psychological abuse, including exclusion and verbal harassment, warning that schools are increasingly becoming unsafe spaces for students.
“What we’re seeing is not simply an act of bullying, but it’s also translating into violence,” she said.
Parag also pointed to the growing influence of social media on student behaviour, saying children are increasingly shaped by online content alongside home and school environments.
The ministry is preparing enhanced training for guidance counsellors from September, with a stronger focus on psychology and mental health support, as officials respond to rising concerns, including suicide risks among students.
She added that improved monitoring systems and faster reporting mechanisms are being introduced, alongside youth development programmes aimed at reducing violence in schools.
Parag stressed that addressing school violence requires shared responsibility between schools and families, urging parents to reinforce discipline at home and supervise children’s use of digital devices.
She added that discipline must not be confused with abuse, noting that behavioural correction does not require physical punishment.
