DepEd Equips Parents as First Line of Defense Against School Violence

The Department of Education (DepEd) on Monday said it will equip parents to become the ‘first line of defense’ against school violence by helping them identify early signs in children that may lead to incidents. “We cannot solve violence in schools if we only act within the classroom. The home is our first line of defense,” Education Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” M. Angara said in Filipino in a news release. “We need to learn to recognize red flags and changes in a child’s behavior before they escalate into violence or bullying,” he added. “Let us make them feel that they are not alone.” In the expanded Kaagapay Program, the agency said it aims to help parents identify red flags, manage behavioral issues, and directly coordinate with school Child Protection Committees (CPCs) and guidance personnel. Through its partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the full-scale implementation of the Parent Effectiveness Service (PES) modules will cover the root causes of violence in school, including mental health concerns and online safety risks. A series of training sessions will also help parents and teachers know more about Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children (OSAEC) and Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Material (CSAEM), bullying and cyberbullying prevention, nihilistic violent extremism, parenting tools to ensure a conducive and protective home environment, technology-based protective tools, as well as reporting and referral pathways from home to school and community. “These topics align with DepEd’s Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and Kaagapay Program frameworks,” the agency said. The session, in partnership with Stairway Foundation Inc. and Meta Philippines, is happening from July to November across regions including National Capital Region (NCR), Central Luzon, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, and Bicol. The trained Regional and Division Learner Rights and Protection (LRP) personnel and Education Program Specialists in Values Education are expected to lead training facilitators at the division and school levels for the program. At the school level, the agency is closely coordinating with Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) and School Governing Councils (SGCs) to integrate parent education in ongoing learner protection measures. “Protecting our learners is a shared responsibility,” Mr. Angara said. “Through the collective efforts of schools, parents, and communities, we can ensure that every Filipino child is safe, looked after, and cared for.” The push for parents’ active participation in addressing school violence comes after the Zamboanga school shooting earlier this month, and the Tacloban school shooting that happened in June. Both incidents have caused the deaths of several students, while the perpetrators involved were all underage. — Almira Louise S. Martinez