Kindergarten kids star in new video aimed at beating the bullies

IT is the anti-bullying campaign out of the mouth of babes — literally. Kindergarten kids will feature in a series of videos aimed at addressing “one of the most challenging issues in schools”. WATCH THE VIDEO

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WE ARE supposed to be teaching them but a new anti-bullying campaign proves that we have a great deal to learn from five-year-olds.

A new anti-bullying video starring kindergarten kids will be launched at an Australian-first anti-bullying strategy conference starting tomorrow, as the state government searches for a solution to what it considers “one of the most challenging issues in schools”.

Students Nia Surapaneni, Skylar Low, Logan Hart, Krisha Rawat, Isabel Vida-Fong, Joseph Shin and Maria Jim-George star in the State Government’s new anti-bullying campaign. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

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The conference will hear from leading lights in bullying, aggression and school adjustment from Australia, Canada and Finland, and travel to Dubbo, Ballina and Wagga Wagga to hear form parents and kids, but it could be the simplest solutions from kindergarten kids at Ironbark Ridge Public School at Rouse Hill are the best — be nice, share toys and walk away from bullies.

The video is very instructive for adults, showing students mortified by a hypothetical question about whether it would be acceptable to join in with friends to laugh at someone who’s crying.

“You should be always nice to someone — to everybody,” Maria Jim-George, 6, said.

“It’s never good to join in being mean to someone because it’s selfish and hurts their feelings,” Krisha Rawat, 5, said.

Logan Hart, 6, from North Kellyville has a simple solution to keeping the peace and keeping his sister happy, which is to share his paper planes.

The students share their innocent responses to a series of questions. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

“I’m really good at making paper planes and I’ve made heaps, so instead of making my sister scream her head off I just let her have one to play with,” Logan said.

When Joseph Shin’s soccer ball was kicked into a tree by a mean boy earlier this year, he explained his feelings were hurt and there hasn’t been another issue.

“I told the Year 2 boys they were being mean and I asked them to give me my ball back and it’s never happened again,” Joseph, 2, said.