An initiative by the Irish Educational Publishers Association (IEPA), which publishes 90pc of school books, means that Anti-bullying awareness adverts will be inserted in a large percentage of primary and secondary school textbooks by the end of 2014. The initiative has the backing of the Department of Education, under whose direction the ads were designed.

The IEPA plans to place the adverts in up to 1,000 primary and post primary publications, both print and digital, targeting up to 830,000 pupils on a daily basis. The campaigns with IEPA-member school books will include anti-cyberbullying, standing up to homophobic bullying, and taking care of wellbeing in school. The ads, which will be age-appropriate, will feature prominently in books both at primary and post-primary level.

The Department of Education is providing €500,000 this year to supporting anti-bullying measures, which includes a new requirement on schools to keep a formal record of bullying incidents.
The department has been in discussions with its education partners, including parents and school managers, about the new procedures, which will be introduced at the end of September.

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