HC Deb 04 December 2003 vol 415 cc186-7W
Mr. Woodward

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assistance the Government is providing to primary schools to (a) establish student councils, (b) combat bullying and (c) develop anti-bullying (i) strategies and (ii) products. [141719]

Mr. Ivan Lewis

The Department has worked with School Councils UK to produce a took it to help primary schools develop effective School Councils. A copy has been sent to every LEA in England.

Last month I launched the schools' anti-bullying Charter for Action at the first of a series of regional DfES anti-bullying conferences. We hope primary and secondary schools will adopt the Charter or adapt it to create their own. The Charter includes good practice suggestions. We are also producing audit and training materials for primary schools which deal with bullying as well as other aspects of managing behaviour and attendance. These supplement the DfES guidance pack "Bullying: Don't Suffer in Silence" which helps schools develop and implement their anti-bullying policies.