DepEd to Drop 'Active Shooter Reenactment' in School Safety Drills

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) will no longer be conducting “reenactments” for the nationwide simultaneous school safety drill this Thursday. At the Kapihan sa Manila Prince Hotel on Wednesday, DepEd governance and operations Undersecretary Malcolm Garma explained that the drill had been postponed on August 25, due to inclement weather and concerns about the drill's effectiveness and its impact on children. "We will not be doing any reenactment of active shooter," Garma said. He added that the drill is not supposed to be a "mock drill" of such scenarios. "The objective is to improve our capability, our preparedness, our response during emergencies," Garma said. He also noted that the drill is not intended to be a "mock drill" of such scenarios. "The objective is to improve our capability, our preparedness, our response during emergencies," Garma said. "The drill is not supposed to be a mock drill of such scenarios," he added. The DepEd official said that they will be consulting with experts to ensure that the drills are effective and not traumatizing for the students. "We want to make sure that the drills are effective and not traumatizing for the students," Garma said. He also said that the DepEd will be working with local government units and other agencies to ensure that the drills are conducted in a safe and orderly manner. "We want to make sure that the drills are conducted in a safe and orderly manner," Garma said. The DepEd official said that the DepEd will also be providing training to teachers and school personnel on how to respond to emergencies. "We want to make sure that our teachers and school personnel are trained on how to respond to emergencies," Garma said. The DepEd official said that the DepEd will also be providing psychological support to students who may be affected by the drills. "We want to make sure that our students are provided with psychological support," Garma said. Source: Inquirer NewsInfo