Education Secretary Armin Luistro said the workshop has two main aims, namely, to “provide information on how to protect the children in school against abuse, violence, exploitation and discrimination, and help them defend their rights in order to develop their moral character and to gather feedbacks, recommendations and outputs” on the issue.
The results of the workshop will be incorporated in the proposed policy guidelines on protecting children in school against violence, abuse, exploitation and discrimination.
Earlier, the DepEd vowed to get tough on school bullies with a more comprehensive child-protection policy to shield children against abuse and violence in school.
“This is a serious matter that we cannot put off nor delay because it involves the overall well-being of our learners which, when not addressed promptly, may negatively affect them for life,” Luistro said in a statement.
The proposed policy will cover measures to prevent abuses against children in school and the processes to be observed when abuses are committed. It will also include the procedures to follow and possible referral to other concerned agencies.
The DepEd warned school personnel that corporal punishment and violence in any form is not allowed in schools whether it is committed by adults or the children’s peers.
Republic Act 7610 (Act Providing Protection Against Child Abuse, Discrimination and Exploitation) listed down acts that constitute child abuse which are considered as criminal offense. This includes psychological and physical abuse, neglect, cruelty, sexual abuse and emotional maltreatment. Also included is any act by deeds or words which debase, degrade or demean the worth and dignity of a child; unreasonable deprivation of his basic needs for survival such as food and shelter; as well as failure to immediately give medical treatment to an injured child resulting to serious impairment of his growth, permanent incapacity or death.
Earlier, the DepEd had also incorporated in the curriculum the strengthened Personal Safety Lesson (PSL) design to address the problem of sexual abuse and other violence affecting schoolchildren.
At the initial implementation of the PSL program in 14 pilot schools nationwide in 2009, the DepEd said some 65 students (42 percent incest, 58 percent non-incest) filed complaints of sexual abuse. Of the number, 20 are male students.
This has grown to 295 schools (153 elementary and 142 secondary) in 27 schools division nationwide. A total of 2,080 teachers were also trained to the handle the teaching of the PSL lesson with 1,055 elementary and 1,025 secondary-school teachers.
(Claudeth E. Mocon)
