By NATALIE GALLENTI-BREKALO
ALTONA MP Jill Hennessy claims the State Government has walked away from bullying programs in Victorian schools with no funding allocated this year.
Ms Hennessy said the Napthine Government has failed to continue funding important anti-bullying programs that could have made a real difference in the Altona District.
Funding cuts include the cyber-safety eSmart program that had been initiated in Victorian schools by the previous government.
Delivered by the Alannah and Madeline Foundation with funding from Labor, eSmart helped schools combat cyber-bullying and promoted online safety for students.
“The funding for schools to participate in this program dried up in 2013 and the Napthine Government appears not to care,” Ms Hennessy said.
Ms Hennessy said the small grants program to assist schools to reduce bullying has now wound up with no new funding this year.
The last round of Bully Stoppers grants of up to $10,000 per school closed in the middle of 2013.
“Combined with the overall cuts to education, schools will find it very difficult to build safer, more inclusive schools where the incidence of bullying is reduced.”
