By 2020, the Department of Education of Catalonia will oblige all public schools to implement this plan aimed to develop a more favorable educational environment, complete with a set of prescribed tools and recommendations in addition to an allowance for the individual needs of every school. One of the suggested measures is the creation of bullying commissions in schools to investigate cases of bullying, including aggressive or mocking actions directed towards a student and initiated by his or her peers.
Currently, 1700 schools participate in the project. Even though the Department of Education of Catalonia does not have precise data on the number of bullying incidents in each school and their dynamics, the school principals of the educational establishments that already participate in the program report that their teachers have become more aware of bullying, its nature, and the ways to prevent it.
Meritxell Ruiz, Advisor of Education for the government of Catalonia, explained that the project to develop a more favorable educational environment is a part of the broader initiative aimed at the complete elimination of hooliganism and aggression among school students. She believes that a friendly atmosphere in the schools is an essential prerequisite for students’ academic achievements as well as a guarantee of their social and personal growth.