TORONTO — Bullying hotlines and security devices such as cameras will become part of academic life in Ontario under initiatives announced Tuesday to bolster school safety.

"Every student has the right to feel safe and be safe in school and on school grounds,'' Education Minister Gerard Kennedy said in a release.

"We know that safe schools are a priority across the province.''

An "action team'' comprised of safety experts will oversee the new measures and will also address issues of sexual misconduct in schools, Kennedy said.

The government will spend $9 million in the 2004-05 school year to put the plan into practice.

Under the plan, schools provincewide will be subject to safety audits to help identify their specific concerns.

Anti-bullying hotlines and programs will be put in place and electronic monitoring systems will be used to protect schools from intruders.

School boards can begin applying in January for funding to cover security costs.

Recommendations on how to implement the initiatives will be made by the province's safety teams.

Tuesday's announcement came just days after the fatal shooting of a teacher outside a Brampton secondary school resulted in a two-hour lockdown for students inside and prompted fresh questions about school safety.