Schools and pupils differ on bullying

Schools think issue dealt with but students disagree

Wide differences have emerged between how students and management in some schools say bullying and discipline are dealt with, according to the Department of Education’s chief inspector.

Harold Hislop pointed out the anomalies that have emerged in cases where schools tell inspectors they are dealing well with the issues, but a different story is told by students. In the first three years of confidential questionnaires introduced in 2010 as part of the school inspection process, 67,000 parents and 65,000 pupils have been surveyed.