By JESSE GRAHAM
PRIMARY and secondary schools from Mount Evelyn are banding together in an attempt to stamp out bullying as part of a new program run by and for students.
At this year’s Mount Evelyn Township Planning Night, representatives from Mount Evelyn Primary School put forward the idea of a youth summit to focus on issues affecting children in the town.
After engaging with Yarra Hills Secondary College and St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, the group has received a $10,000 grant as part of the Victorian Government’s Bully Stoppers program.
With the funding allocated, the schools are aiming to set up a youth summit early next term, where student representatives from each school can discuss ways of dealing with bullying.
Cathy Sanders from Mount Evelyn Primary School said the timing of the Bully Stoppers program worked perfectly with arranging the youth summit.
“It’s fantastic – it has really enabled us to take this project and give it a community focus, to take it beyond the schools,” she said.
St Mary’s Catholic Primary School principal Lynne ‘Omeara said the program is about ensuring children have a safe school environment by discussing issues with their peers.
“It’s really important that they’re involved – it gives them a voice and ownership of what’s meaningful to them,” she said.
“If we’re all on the same message, it will have an impact on the whole community.”
Principal of Yarra Hills Secondary College’s Mount Evelyn Campus Robyn Dew said that, by having students run the forum, the issue can be accessed and addressed better.
“No kid wants to be bullied,” she said.
“Adults can come in and talk about it, but when it comes from students it becomes more meaningful and relevant to them.”
She said the rise in social media use has meant that more students are exposed to cyber bullying, which can begin in primary school and continue throughout secondary school.
“The program really needs to start in the primary sector and with the two levels working together, we can have consistency between us,” she said.
“We’re going to ensure these positive behaviours we want in our kids remain consistent.
“It’s about educating everyone and that’s why it’s going to be successful.”
Mount Evelyn Primary School student Brett Smart, who helped create the idea at the town planning meeting, said he was looking forward to the summit.
“I’m very excited that its come from our school, with our ideas,” he said.
“I’m excited to be a person involved in trying to stamp out bullying because it happens a lot.
“One of my friends used to be bullied, so I’m quite close to this.”
Through the Bully Stoppers program and the youth summit next term, students will develop campaigns on bullying and other key issues to take back to their individual schools.
Eventually, the aim is to create an art exhibition and community forum as a result.
Evelyn MP Christine Fyffe congratulated the schools for getting involved to address the issue and for receiving the grant.
“Unfortunately, up to one in five Victorian school children are involved in bullying at any one time,” she said.
“It’s great to see schools taking proactive steps against bullying, rather than dealing with the consequences.”
The Victorian Government’s Bully Stoppers program invites schools to develop innovative new methods to address bullying and implement new anti-bullying policies.
More than 100 schools received grants totalling $450,000 as part of the Bully Stoppers program.
For more information on the program, visit www.education.vic.gov.au/bullystoppers.
