DepEd boosts efforts to curb abuse, bullying
THE Department of Education (DepEd) seeks to boost efforts to curb abuse, bullying, exploitation and discrimination in school by making students aware of their rights, Undersecretary Josephine Maribojoc said.
“We are strengthening in DepEd the rights education of our children,” Maribojoc told reporters at the sidelines of the recent national child protection summit held in Pasay City.
The child protection policy, which was issued in 2012, requires each school to have its child protection committee who will make sure that the policy is put in place and properly implemented.
“That is something that we want to work on to make sure that each and every school has a child protection committee that’s really functioning, so every concern about child abuse and bullying will be addressed by that committee,” Maribojoc said.
“There’s really a need to monitor, to see schools are actually putting up and establishing this child protection committee,” she added.
Schools that violate the child protection policy face suspension or revocation of their permit to operate. They can also be deprived of their financial subsidies.
A private school in Bicol province was recently in hot water after an official ordered the burning of the bags and belongings of students who supposedly defied his order.
Bicol Central Academy (BCA) administrator Alexander James Jaucian, who ordered the burning of the bags of Grade-12 students who supposedly defied the “no bags” policy was suspended.
DepEd Undersecretary for planning and operations Jesus Mateo said it is also important to review the child protection policy from time to time to update its implementation.
“There’s also a need to strengthen the participation of the community and other agencies on how best to ensure the protection of our children,” Mateo added.
The Judge Feliciano Belmonte Sr. High School (JFBSHS) in Quezon City recently launched its bullying prevention and intervention program to ensure that learners have a positive learning climate that is “inclusive and accepting, regardless of ethnicity, religion, social status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender experience, age, or disability.”
The school believes that learners can better reach their full potential when they are in a learning environment that is inclusive and accepting.
The program features an annual anti-bullying campaign for students “that aims to develop full awareness on the nature of bullying, its effect on the person bullied, and its repercussions on the bully.”
While the activity is spearheaded by teachers, it empowers learners to be actively involved in the prevention of bullying incidents as each class president is designated as a watchperson who will help ensure that such cases are reported and addressed properly.
The school complemented its “Bully No More” program with “Magulang Kabalikat sa Bantay Seguridad” (Makabase), which empowers parent-volunteers to act as security personnel to prevent incidents of physical bullying within the school premises.
The school noted that with the implementation of Makabase, cases of bullying and abuse went down significantly.
Education Secretary Leonor Briones called on parents and teachers to address bullying in school.
“Bullying is a reality, whether in school or online, that can affect a child in different ways; but it is also a reality that we – parents, teachers, child protection advocates, and the community – can alter if we remain committed and active in promoting and protecting children’s rights,” Briones said.
Lotta Sylwander, Unicef Philippines representative, lauded the DepEd for its efforts to stem bullying.
“It is alarming that many children experience cyberbullying and this calls for urgent action from all stakeholders involved in responding and preventing violence against children in the Philippines – especially from us parents and teachers,” she said.
NEIL ALCOBER
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