The Department of Education (DepEd) is calling on parents and guardians to play an active role in curbing school-related violence, emphasizing that intervention must begin at home before incidents manifest inside the classroom.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara underscored that families serve as the primary line of defense in protecting students, urging parents to maintain open communication with their children and collaborate closely with school officials to detect early warning signs.
“Hindi natin kayang solusyunan ang karahasan sa mga paaralan kung sa loob lang ng classroom tayo kumikilos. Ang tahanan ang ating unang depensa,” Angara said in a statement released Monday.
Angara advised parents to engage in daily conversations with their children, listen to their concerns and remain vigilant against sudden shifts in demeanor or behavior.
“Kailangan nating matutunang mapansin ang mga red flags at pagbabago sa kilos ng bata bago pa man umabot sa pananakit o bullying,” he added.
To support families, DepEd announced the expansion of its Kaagapay Program, which equips parent communities with the skills to identify behavioral red flags, address student welfare concerns, and coordinate with school-based Child Protection Committees and guidance counselors. The initiative is being aligned with the Parent Effectiveness Service Program under Republic Act No. 11908 in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
From July to November, DepEd is rolling out regional parent-teacher learner protection sessions. The workshops address pressing student safety issues, including physical bullying, cyberbullying, online safety, online sexual abuse and exploitation of children and violent extremism. Participating parents are also equipped with digital safety tools and guided on official reporting and referral mechanisms.
At the institutional level, DepEd is partnering with Parent-Teacher Associations and School Governing Councils to integrate parent education modules directly into existing learner protection frameworks.
Reiterating that safeguarding learners requires a unified approach across all sectors of society, Angara stressed that student protection relies on continuous collaboration between home and school environments.
“Shared accountability ang pagprotekta sa ating mga mag-aaral,” Angara said.