Back to School - Be pro-active against bullying

TODAY is one of the most exciting of days for children going to school for the first time, joining thousands of others already on the pathway of knowledge, an experience that will shape the course of their future lives. But while school can open the mind and fire the imagination, it can also be a scary place.

The risk of bullying is a reality that every school, every parent and every teacher must be conscious of, especially in this era of social media – ant-social might be more accurate. A terrifying experience, bullying can mark a child for the rest of his or her life.

Any school worthy of the name should have a pro-active policy towards this problem. Rather than turning a blind eye, teachers have a duty to root it out. Otherwise, it will spread like cancer. Parents can beat it by encouraging their children to talk openly about the events of the day.

Road safety can also be a deadly problem as evidenced by figures showing that so far this year 13 children have died, mainly in pedestrian accidents, over double last year’s overall toll. Ironically, with more children walking on the roads to combat obesity, accidents are inevitable if they don’t wear high viz jackets.

Regrettably, for some families the start of the school term can be something of a nightmare, either because they are facing bills they can’t pay or because for some reason they cannot avail of government grants towards their child’s education. Given the importance of education, that is deplorable.