# CE2004078EN.01090201.xml

| 27.3.2004 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | CE 78/902 |
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27.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

CE 78/902

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(2004/C 78 E/0953)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4042/03

by Kathalijne Buitenweg (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(12 January 2004)

Subject:   Bullying at school

Subject:

Children must be able to feel safe at school. Bullying and other verbal and physical violence, both in the classroom and elsewhere, must be controlled and prevented. With a view to this, the EU Member States decided in 1997 to set up the project ‘Violence at Schools’.

The project was to run for two years and to involve exchanges of information and cross-border activities and projects. A group of experts was established to advise on the activities. After two years, the Council was to evaluate the Violence at Schools project.

| 1. | How was the Violence at Schools project evaluated? |
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1.

How was the Violence at Schools project evaluated?

| 2. | Is it true that there was never any follow-up to the project, and if so, why not? |
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2.

Is it true that there was never any follow-up to the project, and if so, why not?

| 3. | Is making schools safe, including controlling bullying, currently an objective of Community policy or of any of the education programmes? Does it, for example, fall under the following objective of the Comenius programme: developing and disseminating methods for combating educational exclusion and school failure, promoting the integration of pupils with special educational needs, and promoting equal opportunities in all sectors of education? |
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3.

Is making schools safe, including controlling bullying, currently an objective of Community policy or of any of the education programmes? Does it, for example, fall under the following objective of the Comenius programme: developing and disseminating methods for combating educational exclusion and school failure, promoting the integration of pupils with special educational needs, and promoting equal opportunities in all sectors of education?

| 4. | If the answer to question 3 is negative, is the Commission working on initiatives to place this topic on the European educational agenda? |
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4.

If the answer to question 3 is negative, is the Commission working on initiatives to place this topic on the European educational agenda?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(10 February 2004)

(10 February 2004)

| 1. and 2. | Sixteen projects were funded in the framework of the Council's conclusions from 22 September 1997 initiating pilot activities concerning violence in school. They were in operation from 1997-1999 and had built-in internal and/or external evaluation. The expert group mentioned in the Council conclusions was continuously informed about the progress of the projects.
  Six projects on violence in school emerged partly as a follow-up to projects funded in the framework of the initiative Violence at Schools'. They were funded from 1999-2001 in the framework of the Connect initiative.
  A complete evaluation of the Connect initiative was carried out and published in 2002. It contains detailed information on each of the six projects as well as overall conclusions. The conclusions mention among other issues the lack of intercommunication and exchange of experience. All of the projects were, however, said to have had very good potential in each of their fields. It is known to be a common difficulty for this type of project to ensure continuity especially in terms of funds. The conclusions mention in this context that two of the six projects at the time of the evaluation had presented pre-proposals in the framework of Socrates, Comenius 3 (networks). |
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1. and 2.

Sixteen projects were funded in the framework of the Council's conclusions from 22 September 1997 initiating pilot activities concerning violence in school. They were in operation from 1997-1999 and had built-in internal and/or external evaluation. The expert group mentioned in the Council conclusions was continuously informed about the progress of the projects.

Six projects on violence in school emerged partly as a follow-up to projects funded in the framework of the initiative Violence at Schools'. They were funded from 1999-2001 in the framework of the Connect initiative.

A complete evaluation of the Connect initiative was carried out and published in 2002. It contains detailed information on each of the six projects as well as overall conclusions. The conclusions mention among other issues the lack of intercommunication and exchange of experience. All of the projects were, however, said to have had very good potential in each of their fields. It is known to be a common difficulty for this type of project to ensure continuity especially in terms of funds. The conclusions mention in this context that two of the six projects at the time of the evaluation had presented pre-proposals in the framework of Socrates, Comenius 3 (networks).

| 3. and 4. | Quality projects to combat violence in schools can be funded through the Comenius action of the Socrates programme.
  Between 2001 and 2003, five projects out of a total of 186 projects selected for funding in the framework of the Comenius 2.1 European Cooperation Projects for the Training of School Education Staff were working in the field of violence in school. The theme is covered by one of the 21 networks selected in the framework of Comenius 3 within the same period. |
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3. and 4.

Quality projects to combat violence in schools can be funded through the Comenius action of the Socrates programme.

Between 2001 and 2003, five projects out of a total of 186 projects selected for funding in the framework of the Comenius 2.1 European Cooperation Projects for the Training of School Education Staff were working in the field of violence in school. The theme is covered by one of the 21 networks selected in the framework of Comenius 3 within the same period.

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