National anti-bullying committee under consideration: Radrodro

The Ministry of Education is considering stricter bullying reporting requirements and a national anti-bullying committee after acknowledging delays in reporting an incident involving 37 Year 11 students at Queen Victoria School (QVS).

Minister for Education Aseri Radrodro told Parliament that the ministry was reviewing its policies on student behaviour, child protection and school safety.

The review follows concerns over an incident in which 37 Year 11 students were bullied by 21 Year 13 students at QVS.

Opposition MP Hem Chand questioned why parents had brought the incident to the ministry's attention instead of the school head.

Mr Radrodro said the school had followed the required procedures but acknowledged that the incident had not been reported to the ministry promptly.

“I think the only discrepancy noted was the untimely reporting to the ministry,” he said.

The ministry is now considering requiring schools to submit periodic reports to ensure bullying incidents are brought to its attention without unnecessary delays.

It is also exploring the establishment of a National School Safety and Anti-Bullying Committee to strengthen oversight of school safety.

“We are currently reviewing the existing policy and that will also assist us to determine the way forward,” Mr Radrodro said.

Opposition MP Faiyaz Koya questioned whether the Government would consider introducing legislation specifically addressing bullying rather than relying solely on existing policies.

Mr Radrodro said the ministry would not rule out the proposal as it reviewed its current framework.

Opposition MP Premila Kumar also called for an independent and confidential reporting mechanism that would allow students to report bullying directly to the ministry without fear of retaliation.

The proposed committee, reporting requirements and possible legislative changes remain under consideration as the ministry continues its policy review.