Schools across Tasmania have been focusing on ridding their playgrounds of bullying this week, as part of the National Day for Action Against Bullying and Violence.
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A number of primary and high schools have dedicated a week or more to the topic, while the official day was held on Friday.
Longford Primary School dedicated the week to kindness, focusing on a positive rather than a negative.
As part of that, students rode their bikes to school together on Friday and then ate together at the school’s breakfast club.
“We’re taking a different approach this year, focusing on kindness and building strong relationships,” principal Andrea Tiffin said.
“Riding to school together is an unconventional way of tackling bullying by being inclusive and building those relationships.
"We think it’s important to talk about kindness all the time, but it’s good to have a unified message.”
Deloraine High School held a concert and barbecue on Friday, after gathering together on the oval to spell out a slogan for their antibullying campaign – ‘Bullying ctrl-alt-del’ on Wednesday.
Students held hands and spelt out the slogan themselves, with one of the student’s drones used to take an aerial photograph.
“That will go in an anti-bullying competition run by the Education Department,” principal Lee Barker said.
“The students have been really receptive to the anti-bullying campaign, and their contribution to the slogan shows a genuine understanding.”
As part of the anti-bullying day, Premier Will Hodgman announced 23 government schools would be taking part in a new eSmart Schools trial program.
“Delivered in partnership with the Alannah and Madeline Foundation, this program will be trialled in early 2017.
“Students are part of an increasingly digitally-reliant world, and parents are looking to schools for answers.
“This program will give schools the tools they need, and build on the available resources to improve cyber safety and increase digital literacy.”
There were no Northern schools included in the trial, but North-West schools in Devonport, Spreyton, Sassafras, Port Sorell, Yolla, Table Cape, Cooee, Burnie and Smithton were chosen to participate, along with 12 schools in the South.
