Mr. Williams said: "Bullying is a painful issue that too many pupils, teachers and parents have to deal with every day. It has the capacity to destroy young people's lives and hold them back from their potential. This is clearly shown by a recent survey conducted by Beatbullying, which found that over a third of the children who are absent from school are missing lessons because of the fear of bullying. This motion calls upon the government to act. We must provide teachers with the training to prevent bullying and to tackle it promptly when it occurs."
Mr. Williams, a member of the Education and Skills Select Committee, also instigated the Committee's first-ever investigation into the problem of bullying. The investigation will focus on bullying in schools, the extent of homophobic and racist bullying and the effectiveness of government anti-bullying policy.
"That this House welcomes the third annual Anti Bullying Week and commends the work of all UK anti-bullying organisations; notes with concern a survey conducted by Beatbullying which found that over a third of the children who are absent from school are missing lessons because of the fear of bullying; further notes reports from Parentline showing that bullying is parents' biggest single concern about schools; recognises the damage that all forms of bullying can have on young peoples' attainment and their wellbeing; believes that any effective anti-truancy measures must tackle bullying; and calls on the government to provide training for teachers to identify and prevent bullying, and give them the skills to tackle all bullying when it does occur including incidents related to special educational needs, race, and sexuality."
