No-one should be bullied or isolated because of their sexual orientation
No-one should be bullied or isolated because of their sexual orientation. That was the message from Education Minister, Caitríona Ruane, when she visited Shimna Integrated College in Newcastle Co Down to hear about how the school is tackling the issue of homophobic bullying on Thursday, 24 March 2011.
The Minister said: “Bullying is not, and never will be, acceptable in our schools, nor in our society as a whole. By law, all schools must have a discipline policy which includes anti-bullying measures. The culture of silence that often accompanies this issue is so oppressive and negative that our young people need to know they are not alone and that support is always available. We need them to know where, how and who they can get support from.
“I congratulate Shimna Integrated College for providing invaluable support to their pupils through the formation of the Gay/Straight Alliance. I also welcome the fact that organisations such as The Rainbow Project, Cara-Friend and GLYNI are working with schools to address homophobia.”
The Department of Education continues to work in close partnership with statutory and voluntary organisations to address bullying in all its forms. It is for this reason that it plays an active role in and funds the local Anti-Bullying Forum (NIABF) which has established a number of working groups, one of which specifically considered the issue of homophobic bullying. The working group produced a fact sheet for teachers which is available on the NIABF website.
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