School can be a daunting place for kids, especially if they have to face up to bullies in the playground. Thomastown West Primary School hopes to stop bullying before it starts by pairing preps with older buddies.
“Bullying is a concern in every school, but it’s all about how you deal with it,” principal Leon Bell says.
After laying the groundwork last year, the school introduced the Alannah and Madeline Foundation’s Better Buddies program this year. The program pairs grade five and six students with new primary school students to share weekly activities such as computer work, sport and art.
But the program’s objectives extend beyond the curriculum, with older students encouraged to mentor the younger ones outside of the program. “Better Buddies targets bullying by sending the message that big kids aren’t so scary,” Bell says. “Especially for preps, older kids can be like giants but through the Better Buddies program they learn that they are actually quite friendly.”
Bell says the children have responded positively to the program, with students upholding their buddy roles outside of the classroom.
“You see them playing together at lunchtime; the boys will go out and kick a football and the girls take on a sort of mothering role with their buddies,” Bell says. “It’s really fantastic to see.”
Bell says bullying can be detrimental to students’ education as well as their well-being, as teachers are forced to devote teaching time to resolve fights and concerns.
“We believe our students have two main rights at school,” Bell says. “The first is the right to feel safe and comfortable and the second is the right to do as much learning and work as possible at school.”
The Better Buddies program works in line with a full-time welfare officer employed last year at the school to help build a friendly, safe and supportive learning environment.
“The programs are working because we can see that students love coming to school.”
