‘Is this behaviour kind?’: Key national education body calling for kindness classes in schools

Kindness classes to teach children how to be more resilient and empathetic are being pushed as a potential solution to solve bullying in schools.

A key national education body is calling for kindness classes in schools to teach Australia’s children how to be more resilient and empathetic and help prevent bullying.

Independent Schools Australia (ISA), which represents 745,000 students and 128,000 staff from 1230 schools nationally, has lodged one of 900 submissions to the federal government’s Anti-Bullying Rapid Review.

The review, established by Education Minister Jason Clare, is examining current school procedures and best-practice methods to address bullying behaviours.

As part of a range of solutions, ISA wants to see a shift away from merely defining and labelling bullying behaviour to “preventing and responding to all acts of unkindness”.

“Rather than asking if a certain behaviour meets the definition of ‘bullying’, schools should simply be asking ‘is this behaviour kind?’ If not, then corrective action is likely required, regardless of the definition,” its submission says.

The ISA wants to see “corrective action” to bullying.

ISA is calling for social and emotional learning to be more fully embedded in the curriculum in order to “foster positive student behaviours”.

“Social-emotional competence equips students to handle daily challenges effectively, including recognising and addressing bullying behaviours in their peers,” the submission says. This includes learning about kindness, managing emotions, building resilience and fostering empathy.

ISA also wants to see funding for staff to be paid to attend professional development programs that are “key to fostering a positive school culture that encourages empathy and kindness among students”.

Other suggestions include peer support and buddy systems to help students take active roles in promoting kindness, inclusivity, and respectful behaviour within their peer groups.

The peak body also wants students to be explicitly taught to be “upstanders” so they can intervene constructively and address bullying when they see it.

The peak private schools organisation also wants funding for staff to be paid to attend professional development programs.

The Independent Education Union, which represents 75,000 private school staff, agrees on the need for school leaders and staff to be paid to attend any bullying training.

The union is also calling for special exemptions which allow faith-based schools to discriminate against staff and students based on their personal characteristics, to be unlawful in order to reduce the chance of bullying.

The majority of submissions have come from parents, who have emphasised the importance of clear communication for the intervention and management of bullying. Teachers are highlighting the need for resources and training and young people are mentioning the importance of needing to be heard, listened to and valued.

Opposition education spokesman Jonno Duniam urged the government to “listen carefully and actively respond to everyone who contributes to this review and, more generally, to all of those Australians who are calling for tougher and more meaningful action against bullies at schools”.

Mr Clare said all “students and staff should be safe at school, and free from bullying and violence”.

Opposition education spokesman Jonno Duniam.

Education Minister Jason Clare is examining current school procedures and best-practice methods to address bullying behaviours.

“We will listen to parents, teachers, students and work with the states and territories to get this right, he said.

Submissions to the review close on Friday.

Originally published as ‘Is this behaviour kind?’: Key national education body calling for kindness classes in schools