ANTI-BULLYING WEEK 2006

That this House welcomes the third annual anti-bullying week and commends the work of all UK anti-bullying organisations; notes with concern a survey conducted by Beatbullying which found that over a third of the children who are absent from school are missing lessons because of the fear of bullying; further notes reports from Parentline showing that bullying is parents' biggest single concern about schools; recognises the damage that all forms of bullying can have on young people's attainment and their wellbeing; believes that any effective anti-truancy measures must tackle bullying; and calls on the Government to provide training for teachers to identify and prevent bullying, and give them the skills to tackle all bullying when it does occur, including incidents related to special educational needs, race and sexuality.