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DepEd: Ateneo bullying incident a wake-up call
The Department of Education (DepEd) on Monday said the bullying incident caught in a viral video at the Ateneo de Manila University would serve as a wake-up call for the public to take bullying seriously.
"Let this be a wake-up call for everyone who believes in education and the protection of learners to take bullying in all its forms seriously," the DepEd said in a statement.
The DepEd said addressing bullying needs a wide approach where schools and the community cooperate in teaching children the values of respect to others.
"Bullying is a societal issue that demands the cooperation of teachers, parents, school administrators, community members, and even the media to instill among learners the culture of peace and the value of respect for one another," the agency said.
"The Department reiterates the role of peers and teachers in stepping in and anticipating possible incidents of violence against children, and in taking action as quickly as possible before matters get out of hand," it added.
The DepEd said it respects the authority of schools such as the Ateneo to impose sanctions against its students involved in cases like bullying.
The agency, nonetheless, encouraged schools to review its policies against bullying and whether these are compliant with the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013 and the DepEd Child Protection Policy (CPC).
Under the CPC, public and private schools are required to have their own Child Protection Committees to ensure cases of bullying are closely monitored and investigated.
The DepEd hopes the Ateneo bullying incident can be a lesson for other schools, saying schools can exchange inputs on how to better address violence against children.
