Anti-Teasing Law Proposal

The members of the parliament are very happy that State Secretary for Education, Sander Dekker, is going to take on teasing at schools. The coming new law of Dekker can count on the support of the coalition parties VVD and PvdA, but part of the opposition also promised support. An anti-teasing law is, according to Dekker, the best answer to teasing. Today he presented, together with the National Ombudsman for Children, Marc Dullaert, the new law proposal at a school in The Hague. It is the solution towards effectively diminishing the problems around teasing. The plan seems to be popular to many. Schools have to mandatorily do something about the problem. They have to start using a lesson method against teasing, a method which is proven effective. The schools have to assign a teasing coordinator and the Education Inspectorate has to more effectively inspect the situation at schools. Also, the teachers have to be better educated about teasing, especially noticing it, and there must be more awareness about cyber teasing, the growing teasing over the internet. It is, according to Dekker, very important that the law be soon implemented because one out of ten pupils is teased at this moment. “We don’t think we can rule out teasing, but it is our moral duty to do our best effort to fight it. It must be clear that teasing is unacceptable in any situation.” The parties in the parliament have responded positively to this proposal. It is a big step forward according to the PvdA and the VVD. The opposition parties D66 and ChristenUnie also speak of a realistic plan. The PO-council, an association of the school boards, is also positive about the plan. Teasing became a hot issue at the political agenda after a couple of serious incidents a few months ago. The students Tim Ribberink and Fleur Bloemen committed suicide after being teased at school. The General Education Association (Aob) is less enthusiastic about the proposal of Dekker. “Let the schools solve the problems by themselves. The State Secretary is responding to the hype which recently developed on teasing because of two severe cases”, says a spokeswoman of the association.