Over 500 anti-bullying recommendations under review – Education Minister – National consultations

More than 500 recommendations have already emerged from the Education Ministry’s national anti-bullying consultations, Education Minister Sonia Parag told the National Assembly on Wednesday as the 2026 education estimates were examined.
The Minister said the submissions are now being reviewed as the Government moves to strengthen safety measures in schools, including the development of formal procedures and possibly legislation.
“We have right now, from that first public consultation, over 500 recommendations and suggestions that we’re working through,” Parag said during the exchange.
She added that the initiative will go beyond dialogue. “That is not just a talk shop. It is going to materialise into an MOU followed by action,” the Minister stated.
“Arising from these consultations, what we are aiming to do at the very least is to establish standard operating procedures… in the school system, and at the highest, we would like to look at legislation that will work for the safety and security of our children and teachers,” she said.
The issue arose as opposition members raised concerns about violence in schools. Dr Gordan Barker noted that there had been “an increase in violence in school” and referenced incidents in which teachers were attacked.
He later pressed the Minister on what measures would be implemented “to ensure the safety of teachers – and might I add the safety of both teachers and students, since we have gangs coming into schools.”
In response, Parag reiterated that the Ministry maintains a “zero tolerance approach to students hitting teachers” and indicated that additional systems will be introduced as the consultations progress.
In recent months, the Education Ministry has embarked on a nationwide series of anti-bullying and anti-violence consultations aimed at strengthening policies across the school system. The engagements have brought together students, teachers, parents, administrators, and other stakeholders to gather feedback on how bullying should be defined, prevented, and addressed. The consultations form part of a broader push by the Ministry to introduce structured reporting mechanisms and clearer behavioural guidelines within schools, with the stated goal of creating safer learning environments.
Apart from bullying, the deliberations also touched on student retention and teacher training. Terrence Campbell, another opposition member of parliament, raised questions about secondary school dropout data and whether the Ministry was actively measuring trends.
“What you measure, you improve,” Campbell said, urging the Ministry to ensure that up-to-date data on dropouts is publicly available.
Parag responded that the Ministry is “actively measuring” student retention, noting that what is referred to in the estimates as the “survival rate to the last grade of secondary” reflects that data.
She added that guidance counsellors are being retrained “more in line with psychology”, describing it as upgraded training aimed at better equipping schools to address behavioural and social challenges.
Teacher training and accountability measures also featured prominently. In defending the introduction of biometric attendance systems in schools, Parag said investments must translate into improved outcomes.
“We can’t invest heavily in the training of teachers, and then you’re having time periods in which students are not being taught,” she said, adding that the system is intended to strengthen accountability rather than punish educators.
The 2026 education estimates were subsequently approved in the Committee of Supply.