Recognizing the impact of bullying on students’ academic performance and overall well-being, Education Secretary Sonny Angara announced on Tuesday, Aug. 13, that the Department of Education (DepEd) would monitor schools to ensure strict compliance with anti-bullying policies.
In a Palace briefing, Angara explained that each school is required to have an anti-bullying policy.
“Pero hindi sinasabi ng batas kung gaano ka-strict dapat ito, pero kailangan may policy [pero] ang problema, on the ground, very few schools have their own anti-bullying policy (But the law doesn’t specify how strict they have to be, but it’s required to have a policy [but] the problem is, on the ground, very few schools have their own anti-bullying policy),” he said.
“Ao sa DepEd, we will really track or monitor the compliance dito sa batas na ito (So at DepEd, we will really track or monitor the compliance with this law),” he added.
‘Bullying capital of the world’
Citing Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) results, Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) Executive Director Karol Mark Yee said the Philippines has become the “bullying capital of the world” due to the “highest prevalence” of bullying among students.
Yee also noted that many studies have shown the direct effect of bullying on students’ academic performance.
“Lumabas sa PISA na yung nabu-bully, bagsak talaga siya so malaki yung impact (PISA results showed that those who are bullied tend to perform poorly; the impact is significant),” he said.
“Yung school environment, kung hindi mo feel na safe ka doon, paano ka magpo-focus sa pag-aaral mo kung lagi kang naghihitay ng paraan para depensahan ang sarili mo (In the school environment, if you don’t feel safe, how can you focus on your studies when you’re always on the lookout for ways to defend yourself?),” he added.
Yee also pointed out that Filipino students are among the “loneliest” in the world. “Filipino students feel that they don’t belong and that they’re the loneliest,” he said.
Lifeline support
Aside from monitoring schools for compliance with anti-bullying policies, Angara said that schools will also be directed to ensure that there are “lifelines” for students who might need them.
“Other members of the faculty should provide support; at least there should be a life coach or someone to turn to,” Angara said in a mix of English and Filipino.
Angara noted that DepEd also has an existing policy on bullying, covering both in-person and digital platforms.
Lack of guidance counselors
To effectively address bullying in schools, Angara and Yee underscored the importance of having guidance counselors in schools.
Currently, there are 5,000 vacant positions for guidance counselors. This, Angara said, is a significant challenge for DepEd due to the “shortage” of guidance counselors in the country.
“Para maging isang guidance counselor, nasa batas kailangan magka-master's degree ka. Number one, 'yun ang naging problema (To become a guidance counselor, the law requires a master’s degree. That’s the number one problem),” Angara said.
Angara mentioned that DepEd is coordinating with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Civil Service Commission (CSC) to address this issue.
“‘Sana punan muna 'yung 5,000 bakanteng posisyon ng mga kahit graduates ng guidance counseling at psychology or whatever specialization pero di na kailangan 'yung master's degree (Hopefully, they can first fill the 5,000 vacant positions with graduates in guidance counseling, psychology, or any related specialization, even if they don’t yet have a master’s degree),” Angara said.
He added that guidance counselors could also be given a “grace period” of five years to obtain the necessary credentials.
Addressing the lack of guidance counselors in schools, Yee said, is among the priorities of the Cabinet Cluster for Education, which President Marcos has approved “in principle.”