26 schools across South Australia have been trialling a new approach to tackling bullying in primary schools, as part of the Government's commitment to back evidence-based approaches to address bullying in schools.
The new primary school version of the PEACE Pack, developed by Flinders University and supported by the Breakthrough Mental Health Foundation, complements the secondary school resource that has successfully reduced bullying in high schools for more than a decade.
The pilot, which wraps up at the end of Term 3, is giving teachers and leaders the opportunity to apply this new approach and plan lessons that teach students skills in dealing with all types of bullying, including cyber bullying.
The program offers intensive professional development for teachers, student wellbeing leaders and parents, as well as a comprehensive anti-bullying curriculum for students.
Education Minister John Gardner said the pilot was an important part of the Government's commitment to address bullying in schools.
"The number of children and young people experiencing bullying on a regular basis is concerning, and we must do everything we can to stamp it out at the earliest opportunity" said Minister Gardner.
"The content of the PEACE Pack aligns with the Australian curriculum and has been developed with teachers, for teachers, to deliver in the classroom," said Professor Slee.
A tailored eight lesson plan is being rolled out across the school's Year 5 classes with a heavy focus on teaching what bullying is, as well as coping strategies to promote wellbeing and build resilience.
Brighton High School has already been implementing the approach for four years and has seen bullying incidents more than halved over this time.
Brighton Primary School Wellbeing Leader Renee Book said there is a lot of excitement among both teachers and students.