I agree with you. The schools are responsible for making sure that kids are safe and supervised while they are on school property, including the bus.
My kids have been told that if a bully enters into a physical altercation with them, to fully defend themselves. They’ve got black belts in karate, so they can handle it.
I told them I don’t care if self-defense is against school rules. It is their right.
I’ll deal with the fallout. Anyone who tries to punish one of my kids for defending themselves is in for a rude awakening. So is the bully.
But it shouldn’t be this way in the first place! You don’t hear about bullying in Chinese schools, because it’s a place for learning, not learning how to defend yourself on a daily basis! I have personal, extensive experience in bullying. I suffered and almost flunked tenth grade, I flunked the first semester. And then of course my parents blamed me.