“In our work on understanding how to better manage unacceptable behaviour in our schools, mindfulness kept coming up as an important part of the solution – a key component of the tool box,” says ACT Council of Parents and Citizens Associations President, Kirsty McGovern-Hooley.

“This is an important commitment and we call on other candidates to follow. This program has had quite an impact in some schools – reducing poor behaviour, playground incidents, bullying and violence. It's important for our schools, our kids and teachers.”

“But violence and bullying are complex issues and there is no one magic bullet. Along with this program we need to see a multi-pronged approach that includes a new family-centred reporting and complaints-handling process and the full implementation of all the recommendations of the ACT Government inquiry into the management and minimisation of bullying and violence in ACT schools.”

“Together these changes and programs can reduce the incidence of violence in schools and help us better respond when it happens,” she says.

Released 9 September