RELATIONSHIPS.

The student.

In schools, there are students suffering, they are being bullied.

The bullying is impacting on the children and young people's power to enjoy school and to learn.

Learning will never take place until all survival needs are met.

There are many justifications used by parents, teachers, principals, the educational authorities and society to reason why bullying is allowed to happen, that children and young people's peace of mind and power to learn is allowed to be taken from them.

Adults play the blame game; society blame mobile phones, the parent blames the teacher, the teacher blames the parent, and the principal is in the privileged position to blame the student, parent or the teacher.

Society also places blame on poor diets, lack of exercise, not enough sleep, video games, the weather and the lack of the sunshine vitamin D.

The list is endless and ongoing.

By and large, anything that is part and parcel of the life of children and young people is in line to be used to blame for bullying happening in schools.

Blame allows shift away from finding answers.

Blame replaces the need to manage and control issues of bullying and leaves everything hanging in the air, like words that float in the air and then disappear.

In cases of bullying among peers, the educational authorities will say that every student is entitled to an education.

in cases of students being bullied by teachers, a parent and student must gather information in relation to this, the same way a F.B.I agent would.

If enough of evidence is found, then and only then can a family take a teacher to court for bullying their son or daughter.

Leaves one wondering why schools don't intervene and protect their teachers instead of allowing them to go to court? Clearly there are teachers who bully and who are bullied themselves at home and who need time off, guidance and help.

In cases of bullying by principals, society seemingly believe that principals are not human like the rest of people in society.

Society to some level, expects principals to have a robotic nature.

Society cannot afford themselves the luxury of believing a principal is a human too.

A human who can and who will make mistakes.

Principals who decide to ignore or brush issues of bullying under the carpet.

What if the principal is the bully?

Let's stop and consider how difficult it is for children and young people who are caught up in the above situation and who are dealing with issues of being bullied in school?

Blame is a very easy game to play.

But it's a game with no answers.

It's not a game that parents and educators should want to play.

Blame needs to be replaced by open communication.

Communication that takes place at the right time and in a proper manner.

All people concerned for the health, safety and well-being of students must be well informed, in the loop and up to date using email as to exactly when the bullying will be stopped and students allowed to return to their lessons in peace.

Parents cannot be in school all day and every day.

Parents need to work too, they may have younger children at home to look after, maybe their parents to care for.

However, no matter what, the relationship between parents and students must be respected and kept intact by schools, always.

The value and strength of this relationship between family must never be underestimated by anyone, and especially not by the Education System.

A Student's life is lived in two halves, home being one half and school being the other.

Good communication between home and school is an absolute necessity.

We, parent and educator are working together and towards the one goal, to educate a nation.

Yes?

Students should never live in fear of strife between home and school.

Students should never be the victim of a parent who is saying and promising one thing and a teacher/principal/school who is saying and doing the opposite.

No matter what parents, teachers, principals say or do it should always be in favour of student and for the greater good of children and young people.

Early intervention and good communication are the key to issues of bullying.

One cannot expect schools to have a complete open-door policy, just a policy where parents must knock only once to allow issues of bullying to be put on the table and stopped.

Dare to speak about issues of bullying?

Then the following will happen, the relationship between parents of the students is up for discourse, discussion and in the line of fire.

Does a relationship where parents have gone their separate ways a good enough reason to ignore a student being bullied in school?

The parent’s relationship with their child examined, analysed and under scrutiny.

Why?

How and why is it, that the relationship between a parent and school going unheeded, unmarked, unrecorded and glossed over without any vital importance whatsoever being given to this relationship and indeed to the outcome this relationship can have on students suffering from issues of bullying?

Up and down the length and breadth of Ireland today there are parents who have their son/daughter’s school principal's mobile phone number on speed dial.

There are other parents who have yet to meet the school principal face to face, only in passing and if they do need to speak to the principal with issues their son or daughter might be experiencing in school, the parent must make an appointment.

There are parents who will never meet the principal until the day they enter the school building distressed and overwhelmed because their son or daughter has been attacked in school or a parent feel they can no longer stand back another second watching their son or daughter being bullied endlessly in school.

How does the above work in favour of ALL student?

Where is the equality in education for ALL?

Is this really a fair system?

For parents to continue to do a good job and to keep the relationship between them and their sons and daughters, (a school's student) open, trusting and nourished, parents need equality in schools.

No favouritism, no prioritising, no ignoring any parent, parents need equal access to schools, a place where all students have a right to a full, proper and meaningful education in a developed world.