By Kate Reynolds
In a rare show of unity, Federal Education Minister Jason Clare and his state and territory counterparts announced over the weekend their support for a new national plan to combat bullying in Australian schools. This swift endorsement is not just welcome, it is essential.
For teachers and school leaders, the review offers both reassurance and challenge. At its core, the review reaffirms the pivotal role schools play in identifying, responding to, and preventing bullying.
But as the sector responds to this high-profile review, one question remains that should be front and centre for researchers, teachers and school leaders: Can schools realistically meet these expectations without the time, resources, and cross-sector support they need? Put more bluntly, Australia’s students deserve safe, inclusive learning environments. But so too do Australia’s teachers deserve the tools, time, and trust to build them and need to be supported by the wider community.
How did we get here?
On Saturday, the much-anticipated national anti-bullying review was released, led by clinical psychologist Dr Charlotte Keating and suicide prevention expert Dr Jo Robinson from Orygen. It was prompted by rising concern across the country about bullying among children and young people and was informed by over 1,700 submissions from students, parents, teachers, and education professionals. For a task commissioned only in February, this rapid turnaround reflects the urgency of addressing bullying in Australian schools and the toll it continues to take on student wellbeing and learning.
As environments where children and young people spend much of their time, schools are uniquely positioned to prevent and respond to bullying effectively. The proposed National Standard on Bullying in Australian Schools has been widely welcomed by educators, who have long called for more consistency, clarity, and coordinated support.
Unfortunately, the demands placed on modern schooling need to be taken into account as we consider how best schools can play their role. Do we deprioritise other activities or add resources and crucially not leave schools alone to fight this battle? Teachers want to support young people to be safe but can’t do it on their own. The community needs to work with schools and teachers to effectively address this scourge.
Promising steps but are we asking too much of teachers again?
For any response to be truly effective, we must also acknowledge the complexity of today’s school environment. Educators face competing demands, limited resources, and increasing responsibility for student wellbeing, all while trying to deliver high-quality teaching and learning.
One headline recommendation calls for schools to make a “reasonable effort” to act on reported or observed bullying within two school days. As Minister Clare noted on Weekend Sunrise, this is not just about responding to students it is also about engaging with families on both sides of conflict.
Beyond timelines, the Federal Government has committed $10 million to support implementation of the recommendations with $5 million for a national awareness campaign, and $5 million for new resources to support teachers, students, and families. Notably, the campaign will also focus on evidence-based approaches and those also relevant to empowering students to become “upstanders” recognising the power of peer intervention.
The review makes clear that for the national standard to be effective, the education workforce must be supported. That means time, training, and capacity. It calls for professional learning for teachers and integration of bullying prevention into pre-service teacher training at universities. There is also an expectation that school leadership supports planning and staff development in this area. These initial investments are a positive start. Lasting change requires deep investment in time, trust, and systems, not simply toolkits and informational resources.
A bigger picture: Schools can’t do it alone
Schools must play a central role in responding to bullying, while also recognising it as part of a broader social issue. Many submissions to the review highlighted the strong connection between bullying and broader social issues: poverty, trauma, domestic violence, racism, discrimination, exclusion, and mental health challenges. As the report highlights, students who have experienced violence at home or unresolved trauma are often at higher risk both of being bullied and of engaging in bullying behaviours themselves. Addressing bullying through a comprehensive and integrated model is necessary. Importantly, the framework highlights the need for targeted research and data collection to better understand how societal issues intersect with bullying and other harmful behaviours in schools.
Teachers want to protect and support their students but they cannot do it alone. A whole-community approach is essential. Schools continue to be more than traditional teachers and students and the solutions extend beyond teachers as one layer of professional contact and response. Schools can grow as accessible and safe place-based hubs of people and facilities offering coordinated responses to families, children and young people. These settings offer a natural point of connection for other professionals such as counsellors, mental health workers, social services, and family support networks. A connected school model is succeeding in many places with leadership and dedicated staff to ensure the school members and services are joined up.
A moment of promise but also of reflection
The review’s six key standards and accompanying recommendations are, on the whole, well-informed, carefully considered and sensible. The $10 million investment is a good start. It is too early to tell whether we are once again asking teachers and schools to do more without giving them the capacity to succeed.
The anti-bullying review delivers a clearer national direction, and for that, it should be commended. But we must remain realistic. If the National Standard becomes just another layer of expectation on an already stretched workforce, its potential will be lost. As Minister for Education Jason Clare stated on release of the framework, “This is just the start and the hard work is ahead of us to make our schools safe and protect children.”
Kate Reynolds is Professor of Psychology and Learning at the University of Melbourne Faculty of Education. Her current research is focused on the educational context and understanding schools as key environments for strengthening child and youth academic achievement, bullying and mental health and well-being. She was an academic consulted for the National Anti-Bullying Review.
This article was originally published on EduResearch Matters. Read the original article.
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