END BULLYING: DepEd plots 100M funds on anti-bullying program to empower discipline

While students spend more time in school, home is where the discipline starts.

The Department of Education (DepEd) allocated 100 million to empower guardians on bullying prevention, values formation and learners.

Aligned with the Kaagapay Program implementing guidelines, DepEd Memorandum No. 2 aims to educate the school community in terms of bullying.

DepEd Undersecretary Fatima Panontongan stated on January 9 that the program will assist parents, guardians and caregivers to improve home-based education and complement classroom instructions to foster positive discipline and promote a safe, nurturing and inclusive environment.

The funds will be included under the education sector’s 1.015 trillion pesos approved national budget.

Panontongan said that the Kaagapay program aims to improve the learning, behavioral and socio-emotional objectives in the k-12 basic education as well as homeroom guidance and Good Manners and Right Conduct and Values Education.

The program will provide tools in identifying, preventing and addressing bullying and inquiries in partnership with schools and local child-protection mechanisms.

This also aims to recognize parents, guardians and caregivers as co-educators as the holistic development of learners requires 'collaborative effort'.

She said that such interaction with children shapes literacy, numeracy, values and learning long before and after formal education starts.