The Education Ombudsman called for strengthening the responsibility of teachers for cases of bullying at the legislative level
Recently, the problem of bullying in schools is becoming more and more widespread, creating serious challenges for students who already live in extremely difficult conditions. War, stress, loss of loved ones, resettlement – this is far from a complete list of factors that affect the psycho-emotional state of children. In such circumstances, bullying becomes another traumatic event that complicates their life and development. Solving this problem requires a comprehensive approach, starting from improving legislation to providing psychological support to both students and teachers.
The position of the educational ombudsman
Newly appointed educational ombudsman Nadiya Leschyk stated about the need for changes in the legislation aimed at strengthening the responsibility of teachers for cases of bullying. She emphasized that the adoption of the law, which will provide for the suspension of teachers found guilty of bullying for a certain period, is an important step to ensure the safety of students.
“This is our position, so we also want amendments to be made to the legislation on bullying. If the court finds the teacher guilty of bullying, he should be suspended for a year, two, three — that will be decided by the deputies, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. I hope the draft law regarding the strengthening of responsibility will be”, — said the ombudsman.
This approach can be an important signal to the educational community that any bullying, especially by teachers, will not go unpunished.
Extension of terms for consideration of cases
Another key proposal of the ombudsman was the extension of the term of consideration of bullying cases from three months to one year. According to Nadiya Leshchyk, the analysis of court decisions showed that more than 20% of cases are not considered due to the expiry of the three-month deadline.
“I will initiate that this term be extended to at least a year, because the courts do not have time, they are overloaded. This will ensure a fair trial of cases and create conditions for adequate punishment of the guilty.” she noted.
Psychological support of teachers
Leschyk also drew attention to the problem of professional burnout of teachers, which can affect the quality of their work and relationships with students. The ombudsman noted that teachers who feel emotional exhaustion should seek psychological help or temporarily change their field of activity. This will help to avoid situations when teachers, being in a state of stress, have a negative impact on students and may even become the initiators of bullying.
The problem of bullying in the conditions of war becomes even more acute, and its solution requires the coordinated efforts of all parties – legislators, teachers, students and their parents. The proposals of educational ombudsman Nadiya Leshchyk regarding strengthening the responsibility of teachers, extending the term of consideration of cases and providing psychological support to teachers are important steps on the way to creating a safe and supportive environment for children. However, to achieve real changes, broad public support and willingness to act are needed.
