Week Against Bullying has begun

Published Sep 28, 2021

The national Week Against Bullying  began on Monday, 27 September. The week focuses on tackling bullying and working towards a socially safe school environment. After the turbulent year we have had, which had a major impact on group dynamics, this is especially important. Every year in September, the initiative’s founder, the School & Safety Foundation, organizes the Week Against Bullying for schools in primary, secondary and vocational education.

For schools, a varied range of free (teaching) materials, an opening video and various activities related to this year’s theme— Excluding others? Excluded!  —is available at www.weektegenpesten.nl.

Schools can kick off the week with a special opening video at www.weektegenpesten.nl. For this video, School & Safety spoke with five pupils/students and a teacher about their experiences with exclusion and bullying. By watching the video with the class and discussing it together, you create a shared start to the week centred around the motto Excluding others? Excluded!

Child Helpline

Figures published by Child Helpline today confirm how important it is to focus on preventing bullying. From the time schools reopened after the second lockdown, the number of conversations Child Helpline had about bullying increased by almost 50 percent. The same research shows that exclusion is among the five most frequently mentioned forms of bullying. Now that pupils are meeting each other in person again this school year, it is therefore all the more important to create a safe classroom straight away. During these first few weeks, after all, you build the foundation for a pleasant group atmosphere together. The Week Against Bullying helps with this.

Excluding others? Excluded!

Exclusion is a serious form of bullying. Wanting to belong to a group is one of the basic needs of human beings. Together, you create a group climate in which everyone belongs, has a place and feels welcome. Exclusion has no place in that! That is why this year’s motto is Excluding others? Excluded! With the free (teaching) materials related to the theme, teachers can immediately start working in the classroom on positive behaviour and a pleasant atmosphere.

New Pestweb website

During the Week Against Bullying, the School & Safety Foundation is launching the completely vernieuwde website of Pestweb: www.pestweb.nl. Here, children and young people can find information about bullying at school; tips and advice on combating bullying; information for a class presentation/project and personal accounts from others.

Ten tips for the Golden Weeks in primary education

After every holiday, a group goes through certain phases in the process of group formation. The first weeks at the beginning of the school year are called the Golden Weeks. These weeks are particularly suitable for laying a foundation for good group formation and a pleasant atmosphere. Stichting School & Veiligheid offers ten tips.

Our Food Week

From 3 to 10 October 2026, it is Our Food Week. A great opportunity to focus with your class at primary school on where our food comes from, how it is made and why healthy and sustainable choices are important. Food education allows pupils not only to learn, but especially to experience. That is why various organisations are joining forces to support schools with inspiring activities, teaching materials and practical tools. Examples include the Mayors’ Breakfast, a free visit to a farm, or shopping vouchers for cooking in the classroom.

Join National Tap Water Day 2026 on 30 September!

Would you like more water to be drunk in the new school year? Then put tap water in the spotlight with your class as a healthy and sustainable thirst quencher during National Tap Water Day on Wednesday 30 September. This way, your pupils will discover why tap water is healthy and how to turn it into a festive drink!

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Ten tips for the Golden Weeks in primary education

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Join National Tap Water Day 2026 on 30 September!