Ministry of National Education issues 'Bullying' circular to schools: New measures to be implemented

Ahead of the new academic year, the Ministry of National Education has introduced new measures to prevent all forms of violence in schools, including peer bullying and cyberbullying.

A circular titled "Prevention of Violence in Schools" has been issued under the signature of Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin to guide efforts aimed at preventing all types of violence, including physical, sexual, emotional, psychological, economic, cyber, and digital violence, as well as peer bullying and cyberbullying. The circular emphasizes that the continuity of services provided for the prevention of violence and the protection of victims must be prioritized, including during periods of struggle against disasters and emergencies such as migration, earthquakes, and epidemics, and requested that the following points be observed:

*All administrators in the Ministry's provincial organizations will undergo in-service training on the effective implementation of legislation regarding the prevention of violence in schools and institutions; an in-service training implementation plan will be created within this scope, and the results will be sent to the relevant unit.

*The provincial executive commission for guidance and psychological counseling services will identify risk factors that may cause violence in school and institutional environments in their provinces and take necessary measures regarding priority risk factors and the effects of violence.

*The provincial executive commission for guidance and psychological counseling services will include activities aimed at preventing violence in the school guidance and psychological counseling program and the annual work plan of the guidance and psychological counseling (RPD) services department of Guidance and Research Centers (RAM).

*In schools without a guidance counselor within the responsibility area of RAMs, activities related to the prevention of violence included in the annual work plan of the RPD services department will be carried out. All work will be entered into the e-Guidance system.

*The administration will take necessary measures to ensure safety inside and outside schools and institutions and will cooperate with relevant institutions and organizations.

*Appropriate conditions and personnel support will be provided for the work carried out by school guidance and psychological counseling services and RAMs for the prevention of violence.

RISK FACTORS WILL BE IDENTIFIED

*School and institution directorates will identify risk factors that may cause violence in educational environments and take necessary measures regarding priority risk factors or the effects of violence.

*In line with the relevant protocols signed with relevant public institutions and organizations, priority situations identified by school and institution directorates regarding school safety will be immediately reported to higher units and law enforcement agencies.

*School-family cooperation will be strengthened, and necessary measures will be taken to ensure the support of parents in preventing violence.

*Personnel support, as well as tools, equipment, transportation, and budget, will be provided for these efforts.

The issues regarding implementation were determined in the circular as follows:

*To ensure information and awareness-raising efforts for the prevention of violence, work will be carried out in schools and institutions to instill the fundamental understanding that violence, bullying, and aggressive behavior are unacceptable between teacher-student, student-student, teacher-family, and family-student.

*Efforts will be expanded to improve children's safe space skills and virtual literacy in digital environments and to prevent the transfer of negative behaviors originating from digital/cyber spaces to real social environments.

*School and institution directorates will expand social, sports, and cultural activities inside and outside educational institutions to prevent violence, and RAMs will conduct awareness and information activities for the prevention of violence in schools without guidance counselors in their responsibility areas.

*Guidance counselors working in school guidance and psychological counseling services will conduct information and awareness activities for administrators, teachers, students, parents, auxiliary staff, and other personnel to prevent violence in line with school and classroom risk maps.

*In all schools and institutions, social harmony with peers and the environment will be increased for students with special needs, such as those with special education requirements or temporary protection status.

*Efforts to strengthen the culture of love, respect, and living together will be increased by all schools and institutions.

The circular also included information regarding work carried out within the framework of precautionary decisions under legislation concerning psychosocial support activities for students who are victims of violence or who perpetrate violence.

LITERACY LEVEL AND AWARENESS WILL BE INCREASED

According to the circular, widespread educational activities for the prevention of violence will also be increased. Within this scope, cooperation will be made with relevant units to expand existing course programs in lifelong learning institutions regarding the prevention of violence; family education programs under the General Directorate of Lifelong Learning will be expanded within the scope of violence prevention, and the family education programs prepared by the Ministry will be utilized.

Public education centers will take measures to ensure that students enrolled in open education schools benefit from RPD services, and referrals to RAMs will be provided when necessary.

The literacy level, awareness, and knowledge and skills of citizens outside the education age will be increased through training conducted by public education centers.

To improve effective monitoring, coordination, and inter-institutional cooperation in the fight against violence, cooperation will be established between relevant institutions, organizations, and universities in the work to be carried out for the prevention of violence.