-Minister Parag eyes legislation as long-term goal

GUYANA’S schools could soon see a more structured national approach to tackling bullying, as the Ministry of Education moves to develop an anti-bullying policy, with the first step being a comprehensive outline that Minister of Education Sonia Parag says will come on stream in the coming months.

Minister Parag noted that schools across Guyana will see the distribution of a standard document aimed at being the first step in developing anti-bullying policies, and ideally laws, in the future.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event on Monday, Minister Parag said that the move to implement stricter guidelines surrounding bullying comes after consultation with students, parents, teachers and other stakeholders. “When I thought of the anti-bullying, launching the anti-bullying, or having that consultation with the public, it was to get from the public and different stakeholders their recommendations on solutions,” she said.

She further noted that the aim now is to create standard operating procedures for schools regarding bullying, adding, “But at the very least, I wanted to create standard operating policies that would become standard operating procedures in the schools,” she said, noting that these procedures aim to be comprehensive and holistic. “Procedures in the schools that should be from an assembly point into the classroom. Also, daily repetition, but not only repetition.”

The move is aimed at ensuring that bullying in schools is tackled in a more hands-on and practical way. As Minister Parag shared, the ministry will seek to establish procedures that could be implemented practically in schools.

Citing the importance of moral education in tackling bullying, she shared, “I believe moral education is teaching you how to have a good or better behavioural pattern. Therefore, it should not just be theory. It should be in practice as well.”

While these standard procedures will be coming on stream within the coming months, the minister was keen to note that moving forward she would like to see anti-bullying policies become law, adding, “And at the very highest, I would like to have legislation in relation to the anti-bullying and anti-violence policies. We would like that to be codified into law.”

While legislation remains the long-term goal, Minister Parag noted that the ministry will continue to work alongside schools in the interim, stressing that broad national support is needed for that vision to become a reality. As she added, “But for right now, when we formulate these policies, it has to be a national effort. It also has to be various stakeholders who are involved in creating these policies, and various agencies.”

Looking ahead, Minister Parag added that stakeholder conversations will aid in the creation of a comprehensive document outlining the anti-bullying procedure in schools across Guyana, noting, “When we do that, we will put it all into a particular document, and every school will have that as a standard document. But that we are working on, to have that within schools in the next couple of months.”

The initiative aligns with the ministry’s broader aims and comes amid ongoing efforts to strengthen school safety and student behaviour frameworks.

Recent months have seen the ministry make strides in the broader push to improve moral education and enhance classroom management.

The anti-bullying framework is expected to be developed with continued engagement from education stakeholders and agencies to better shape the steps, policies and potential laws that would protect against the global challenge of bullying.