Charlotte’s Wish: Albanese Government orders study into school bullying to develop national standard

A review has been ordered into bullying in Australian schools to stamp out the pervasive behaviour and better safeguard students.

Federal Education Minister Jason Clare wrote to state and territory counterparts to push for a united effort to deal with bullying in classrooms and school yards.

He recommended a short expert-led examination of current school procedures and best practice methods to address bullying.

The study will be funded by the Albanese government and report back to education ministers with options on developing a national bullying standard.

“This would inform policies across jurisdictions and sectors to provide children and parents confidence that no matter where their child goes to school, if they’re experiencing bullying, it will be managed in an appropriate way,” Mr Clare wrote in the letter.

It comes after Year 7 student Charlotte O’Brien, 12, took her own life in September after allegedly being bullied at Sydney’s Santa Sabina College.

Mr Clare conceded bullying doesn’t just happen in schools but they were places where authorities could intervene and provide support for students.

“Bullying is not on, anywhere, anytime, in any form,” he said.

“Just like we are taking action to help stop bullying on social media, we also can do more where children are face to face.”

The federal government is simultaneously moving to ban Australians younger than 16 from social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit and X (formerly Twitter).

Senior federal minister Murray Watt, who has school-age children, said the Albanese government wasn’t just acting to combat online bullying.

“There are going to be some differences across state borders,” he told reporters in Brisbane.

“But I think the Australian public have spoken very clearly that they want to see greater government action and co-operation to stamp out bullying in schools and online.”

Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta and X owner Elon Musk have warned the bipartisan-backed social media age limit will affect all Australians, with the method of its implementation remaining unclear.

The federal government has ruled out mandatory digital IDs and the coalition has drawn a red line over their implementation.

The legislation will go under the microscope during a single-day parliamentary hearing on Monday after a 24-hour window for submissions.

The ban could come into effect as early as the end of 2025 due to a minimum 12-month lead time once it passes parliament.

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