Vice President Faisal Naseem has stated that bullying prevention efforts should start in schools. He made the remark at a ceremony held to launch a nationwide month-long anti-bullying campaign as part of the Smile On drive.
Speaking at the ceremony, Vice President Naseem expressed support for the commencement of bullying prevention campaigns in the school environment and called for a whole-of-society approach to tackle bullying. He urged community members to display and exercise the best possible behaviour to prevent bullying. He added that the first step to tackling a social issue is to admit and acknowledge that there is a problem, and expressed alarm over the level of bullying and child abuse in society.
Additionally, Vice President Naseem noted that senior students had initiated the Smile On campaign to prevent bullying. He expressed hope for the future and urged the community to come together and work towards preventing bullying.
At the function, Vice President Naseem was presented with a plaque inscribed with a poem about bullying written by the Deputy Captain of Kalaafaanu School Aishath Alanya Ismail. He also unveiled a pledge wall as part of the campaign.