Message to students and teachers about Panhellenic Day against School Violence and Bullying addressed the Minister of Education, Culture and Sports, Kyriakos Pierrakakis.

In the message the Minister of Education clarifies that violence and school bullying have no place in the school environment and emphasizes that dealing with similar phenomena is a priority for the Ministry of Education.

The message of Mr. Pierrakakis is as follows:

“Dear students, dear students,

Dear and dear teachers,

March 6th was established as the Panhellenic Day against school violence and bullying, with the aim of giving a symbolic message of vigilance against a problem that has intensified in recent years, affecting the daily lives of more and more students.

We must be clear: violence and bullying have no place in society, much less in the school environment. For this reason, for everyone at the Ministry of Education, Religion and Sports, the active prevention and systematic treatment of behaviors and incidents that endanger the safety and mental and physical health of every student is a priority.

In recent years, many important steps have been taken. The establishment of the School Life Counselor, the recruitment and continuous training of psychologists and social workers in schools and the inclusion in the school program, through Skills Workshops, seminars to inform and raise awareness among students are just some of them.

However, we are the first to recognize that we can and must do even more. That is why in the next period you will see the unfolding of a coordinated campaign to strengthen mutual respect and inclusion in schools. But above all, you, the students, will have a new tool in your hands, through which you will be able to report any incident that affects you or any of your classmates at any time.

However, it is critical that we all realize that the most important means of dealing with bullying is solidarity. School violence and bullying must find us all facing each other, united and ready to defend each and every one of their victims, without any exception and without any conditions. Therefore, we invite you to become the shield of each and every one of your classmates, with the assurance that you will also have us by your side”.