No room for bullies

By YVONNE KAMBIBEL
EDUCATION Minister Jimmy Uguro says there is no room for bullying in schools and such behavior should be condemned and weeded out.
He was responding to concerns raised by some parents and guardians that there were some schools that did not realise that bullying was a serious disciplinary matter that needed to be addressed immediately.
“All students have the right to education and should have equal opportunities to learn in school without being disturbed with such behaviors,” he said.
Uguro issued a strong warning that the Government had done its part by providing free education so students should not misuse that opportunity or waste time into bullying each other but prioritise their studies.
“Principals, teachers, parents and guardians have a duty to ensure that students have a high level of respect towards each other when they are in the classrooms and even outside the school premises,” he said.
Parents had approached The National to raise concern about this unaccepted behaviour and its devastating effect on an individual student’s physical and mental health.
Teaching Service Commission chairman Samson Wangihomie said: “Teachers and school administrations should look for patterns, get to the root of the issue and stop such bullying in schools as it is an illegal practice.”
Wangihomie said bullying was becoming a common practice in many schools, similar to cult movements that were widely practised by provincial and national high schools over the past years where certain traditions were being passed down from the seniors to the juniors.