To ask the Minister of Education, pursuant to AQW 25713/17-22, (i) whether she intends to place a requirement on schools to report incidences of bullying to (a) her Department; and (b) the Education Authority; and (ii) for her assessment of how useful this information would be in encouraging schools to effectively address bullying incidents.

AQW 25713/17-22 advised that details on the number of bullying incidents are not held by my Department. The Addressing Bullying in Schools Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 (the Act) does not place a requirement on schools to report incidences of bullying to my Department or the Education Authority.

The intention of the Act is to provide greater consistency in how all schools respond to bullying incidents and allegations, ensuring that all pupils are being protected to the same, best practice standards.

The recording requirement of the legislation will allow schools to monitor patterns and trends of bullying amongst their pupils and ensure it is addressed promptly and effectively as set out in their anti-bullying policy.