A children’s rights group on Thursday said gun drills in public schools are a temporary response to rising school violence across the country, urging the government to address the root causes of the security threat.
“These responses from the government to the growing school-related violence are lazy, hasty, and stopgap,” Salinlahi Alliance for Children’s Concerns spokeswoman Elle Buntag said in a statement.
“As we have said many times, the government must fix the root of this problem,” he added. “Let’s focus on long-term and scientific solutions instead of using methods to prove that we have done something and we are doing something.”
The group noted that instead of focusing on ‘band-aid’ solutions, funding should be used to strengthen efforts to build infrastructure that is essential to the healthy development of children.
“Addressing violence in schools means addressing the systemic issues affecting the development of Filipino children – poverty and lack of access to quality education and other basic social services,” said Ms. Buntag.
Earlier, the Department of Education (DepEd) ordered public schools nationwide to develop their own plans to respond to threats, following the first shooter training at Manila Science High School.
This simulation comes a month after a shooting incident at a school in Tacloban City left three students dead and 20 others injured.
During rehearsals, lockdowns are implemented, including closing doors and windows, turning off lights, silencers, and sitting down.
Teachers are also tasked with developing emergency evacuation plans to ensure a quick, organized response to potential threats.
However, the agency clarified that the simulation exercise is only part of a “comprehensive, effective security framework” and will not solve the broader problem of school violence.
“It is not enough for our students to exercise regularly to be safe,” Education Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” M. Angara said in a Filipino news release on Thursday.
“We must also ensure that they are well mentally and emotionally and ensure that they are able to access helplines and guidance services in all schools without fear,” he added.
Other programs to promote student safety include nationwide school safety inspections, increased police patrols, and dedicated funding for CCTV systems, metal detectors, and fence repairs in schools.
The agency is also expanding local anti-bullying measures across campuses. At the same time, students are taught to identify early warning signs of both online and offline bullying through social-emotional learning (SEL) integrated into the curriculum and classroom-based discussions. – Almira Louise S. Martinez
