THE government has just announced that every school must have an anti-bullying policy in place from today. Parents all over the country are breathing sighs of relief.

Well don't! Bullying policies on their own don't work - they are only as good as the staff (the already overworked staff) that run them.

While we are patting ourselves on the back for our enlightened attitudes, new Year Sevens all over the country are being lined up for trouble by a hard core of older ones who know how to work the system: they're leaving soon, so what can school do? If assaults and robbery are occurring in schools - and they are - don't leave it up to tired teachers - call in the professionals, like schools in other countries do. Canada has a 'Safe School' policy: rules worked out between the school and the police; no school there can brush the whole thing under the carpet or suggest you move your child. Come on, parents - wake up: start asking why your child is not given the same rights and protection as an adult on the street!

Anne Sweeney,

Bowerham Road,

Lancaster

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.