Almost half of secondary school children say they've experienced bullying and they don’t feel listened to by adults.
The findings are part of a new survey commissioned by Ombudsman for Children’s Office (OCO).
The cost of living, mental health services and future housing needs are the top three concerns for over 1,000 secondary school students who took part in the survey.
The 'Tomorrow Starts with Us' study focused on children’s experiences on a wide range of topics including education, bullying, racism and discrimination, mental health in schools, online safety, accessibility and public transport.
Some 36% of children say they've experienced discrimination and 15% experienced racism.
Children said they want to see more education on these issues and more consequences when it happens.
'Really concerning'
Ombudsman for Children Dr Niall Muldoon said bullying is prominent across all age groups.
“A very worrying outcome from the survey, which was carried out among over 1,000 secondary school children in April 2024, is that nearly half (47%) of children say they’ve experienced bullying," he said.
"This statistic goes across boys and girls and at all age groups.
"Bullying regularly features in complaints that come to the OCO so it is not surprising that bullying has come up in the survey.
"Its prominence and the widespread nature of bullying is really concerning and emphasises the need for the Department of Education to continue to focus on the Action Plan on Bullying, Cinealtás."
'Concern about their future'
Dr Mudoon said children rarely feeling listened to by adults both inside and outside the classroom needs to change.
"Something is going wrong if children do not feel listened to by policy makers, educators and other adults," he said.
"I know efforts are being made to include children’s voices in many areas, including within the Department of Education, but more needs to be done to communicate to children what we are doing with their opinions.
"If the current population of school children do not feel listened to by those in power then it could explain why they are so concerned about their future, as shown by the top three concerns".
The future of education
On a positive note 71% of children said they believe Ireland is a good country to reach their full potential in.
They describe Ireland as ‘class’, ‘welcoming’ and ‘wonderful’. Some 62% rate the education system as being 'good' or 'very good'.
The survey also invited children to give their view on solutions and changes they want to see.
When it comes to the future of education, the majority want less emphasis on exam results, less homework, more emphasis on wellbeing and more choices for subjects.
Anyone affected by issues raised in this article can contact Teenline on 1800 833 634 or free-text SPUNOUT to 50808
