The Department of Education (DepEd) is expanding parent training programs designed to help families detect and address bullying, violence, online exploitation and other safety threats involving children, Education Secretary Sonny Angara announced Monday.

Angara urged parents and guardians to maintain close communication with schools and monitor changes in their children’s behavior, emphasizing that efforts to combat violence must extend beyond school gates.

“We cannot solve violence in schools if we only act inside the classroom,” Angara said in Tagalog. “The home is our first line of defense.”

Under DepEd Memorandum No. 002, the agency is scaling up its Kaagapay Program in partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development to align with the Parent Effectiveness Service program established under Republic Act 11908.

The initiative aims to equip parents with tools to recognize warning signs, manage behavioral issues and coordinate directly with school Child Protection Committees and guidance counselors.

Running from July through November, the training modules cover topics including bullying, cyberbullying, online sexual abuse and exploitation of children, violent extremism, positive parenting strategies and internet safety.

The sessions also detail reporting mechanisms for cases requiring school or government intervention.

DepEd is rolling out the program across seven regions — the Cordillera Administrative Region, Metro Manila, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa and the Bicol Region. Regional and division protection officers, along with values education specialists, are training facilitators to conduct school-level sessions.

It is also coordinating with Parent-Teacher Associations and School Governing Councils to integrate parent education into broader child protection policies.