The Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has urged all school principals to help stamp out bullying and violence online and at school.

With a National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence coming up in March, PM Malcolm Turnbull and Education Minister Simon Birmingham have penned a letter to school leaders across Australia that say schools, parents and families all have a role in ending bullying.

“We believe all students have the right to be safe at school,” the letter says.

“Bullying and violence has no place in Australia.”

"This is our chance to stand together. Together we can reduce the incidence of bullying, whether inside the school gate or online, and eliminate it wherever we can."

Mr Turnbull said some schools have already set an example by holding conferences to help students support their peers, while others are setting up poster design competitions aimed at school safety.

“While schools and educators have a key role to play in tackling bullying, we also know the important role parents and families play,” Mr Turnbull said.

Education minister Simon Birmingham said Australia has seen horrifying stories of schoolyard bullying.

“We want to make sure that schools are better equipped in terms of their capabilities to deal with these issues,” he told reporters.

The upcoming national day of action will target both “old-fashioned schoolyard” bullying and the growing problem of cyberbullying.

“The reason to do that is to make sure that school communities, teachers, parent, students, are all ... talking about what the resources are available to them to combat and tackle bullying,” Mr Birmingham said.