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DepEd gets tough vs bullying
By Creselda Canda-Lopez
“Each school is required to have anti-bullying policy, but law did not say how strict they have to be,” Education Secretary Sonny Angara said, referring to Anti-Bullying Act of 2013 alarmed by studies showing Philippines as “bullying capital” of the world and that Filipino youth are among loneliest.
Issue on bullying was tackled during President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s meeting with education sector at Malacañang.
Angara said Marcos cited Singapore study showed Filipino youth are among world’s loneliest.
The President was apparently referring to recent Meta-Gallup report showed country’s Generation Z – born between 1997 and 2012 are world’s second loneliest and most lonesome in Southeast Asia.
Gen Z is also first generation to have fully grown up in the world of smartphones and social media, according to report.
He was one of the authors of the law.
Education chief noted very few schools have anti-bullying policy.
“So, on the part of DepEd ,Department of Education, we will really track or monitor compliance with law,” he said.
He stressed that there was time when cases of bullying rose to 20,000.
Second Congressional Commission on Education II executive director Karol Mark Yee, joined Angara at briefing, said bullying also affects students’ academic performance.
Philippines was also ranked in Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) as bullying capital of the world, according to Yee.
“One doing this job based on Anti-Bullying Act, as implemented, is guidance counsellor…but vacancies in DepEd is almost 5,000 plantilla positions,” he noted.
He said position requires master’s degree, but no schools are currently offering such degree in the country.
“To fill all vacancies, it will take us 14 years by current setup,” he added.
Yee said studies showed those who were bullied received poor grades in math, science and reading.
“Filipino students feel they don’t belong and they are loneliest… study made imprint on Marcos that we really need to address this,” he added.
To address bullying, Marcos directed DepEd to make sure students have “someone to turn to” when they have problems.
As to cyber-bullying, Angara said agency is also continuing its policy on use of cellphones inside classrooms.
“And part of the teacher’s duty is to explain to students proper use of technology and cellphones meaning, it includes learning to deal critically with news; not everything you read is true,” he added.
Marcos approved creation of Cabinet cluster tasked to draft 10-year plan to urgently address “deep-seated problems” in the country’s education sector.
At the same meeting, Angara said cluster would be composed of DepEd, Commissioner on Higher Education and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.
He added Department of Labor and Employment and Department of Budget and Management would also be part of group.
“In principle, the President approves Cabinet education cluster, and he’d like us to fast-track some of actions because he sees urgency and it’s very deep-seated problem,” Angara said.
Yee presented proposal to create cluster.
During meeting, Marcos directed agencies to device coherent and system-wide national integrated education and workforce development strategy that starts from early childhood education to basic education, senior high school up to tertiary level.
He also tasked cluster to ensure education issues are tackled as “whole system rather than in multi-agency silos.”
Yee, joined Angara at press briefing, said government agencies doing their respective jobs without coordinating with other concerned offices contributed to “failed system of Philippine education.”
Among issues cluster aims to address are 5.5-year learning gap in the country, subject-mentor mismatch and lack of guidance counselors in schools.
The 2022 PISA showed Filipino students are five to six years behind in learning competencies.
Yee said data also showed 50 percent of country’s science teachers did not finish course related to subject they are teaching.
“How will you teach something you did not know yourself?” he asked.
Yee said Cabinet cluster seeks to formulate 10-year integrated national education and workforce development plan and to make sure targets and budgets are aligned to support plan every year.
Meanwhile, Commission on Audit (COA) will determine whether 2024 national budget was mishandled, according to Angara.
The education chief made remark at same meeting, when asked to comment on his predecessor Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio’’s claim.
“We will see that in COA reports. It’s COA who really knows if there was mishandling, when we face Congress, usually questions asked in House, Senate, are about COA reports… reports that will indicate if there has been any mishandling or not,” Angara said.
Duterte has cited “mishandling” of 2024 national budget, including that of DepEd, as among her “long list of reasons” for resigning from Marcos Cabinet.
Angara emphasized education sector is one Marcos’ top priorities.
“I really see efforts of the President for education sector…he was fast in deciding on this Cabinet cluster, and there’s urgency and he has very specific recommendations,on the part of administration, I think they have no shortcomings, especially when it comes to education. ..although reforms need to be fast, I think this is what the President is telling us,” Angara said.
Earlier, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said government increased DepEd’s appropriation for this year to P715 billion to support agency’s MATATAG program.
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