Bullying not just school issue, say teachers

The president of the New Brunswick Teachers' Association says it's unfair to expect teachers alone to solve the problem of bullying.

Bullying isn’t just a school issue, said Heather Smith, who also sits on the education minister's advisory committee on bullying.

“Teachers have no control over what students do when they're home, when they're out with their friends in the evening, or on the weekend,” she said.

“And yet the expectation is that school teachers are going to solve that when the kids arrive at school the next day.”

There have been several stories of bullying in recent weeks across the province, including a Fredericton teen being pulled out of school by his parents after being subjected to months of harassment by another student, and a Fredericton mother coming forward about how she hired a bodyguard three years ago to protect her daughter who was being bullied.

Earlier this week, Moncton psychologist Charles Emmrys told CBC News teachers have a key role to play in reducing bullying.

Smith, who is a teacher and the principal at Janeville Elementary School in the Bathurst area, said speaking with all of the students and their parents and getting to the root of the problem can be very time consuming.

She contends there aren't enough guidance counsellors in schools to deal with the number of bullying incidents.

Education Minister Jody Carr has promised to introduce changes to the Education Act this spring. But legislation is just one of the methods he will use to reduce bullying in New Brunswick schools, he has said.

Carr wants to make sure successful anti-bullying programs are available across the province.

He also wants to set out clear roles and responsibilities for everyone involved in the school system.