DepEd steps up school safety push
The Department of Education (DepEd) will roll out a nationwide assessment framework to evaluate school safety beyond physical security, covering disaster preparedness, child protection, health services, and psychosocial support.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the Safe School Environment Audit (SSEA) would give schools a unified system to identify safety gaps and determine the interventions needed to protect learners, teachers and other personnel.
“We cannot talk meaningfully about quality education if our children, teachers, and personnel do not feel secure inside and outside their classrooms,” Angara said in a statement Wednesday.
Unlike separate safety programs that assess specific concerns, the SSEA consolidates five areas into one assessment: safety management; supportive environment; safe facilities and school access; emergency preparedness and response; and post-disaster recovery.
Under the framework, schools will evaluate their own readiness through direct observation, interviews and reviews of relevant documents. DepEd offices will then validate the results to clarify each campus’ safety conditions and determine where assistance should be directed.
Angara said the audit was not merely a compliance exercise but a way to identify weaknesses across different aspects of school safety and allocate resources accordingly.
The framework also covers conditions that may affect the physical and emotional well-being of the school community, including access to health services, psychosocial support and established emergency procedures.
DepEd said it would consolidate the assessment results through a national dashboard to track schools’ readiness and guide interventions at the school and policy levels.
The department is also seeking an additional P8.18 billion for campus security measures under its proposed 2027 budget.
Gardens as El Niño buffer
The Department of Education (DepEd) is looking to school gardens and agricultural learning programs to help sustain food production amid the threat of prolonged drought and possible food shortages from a strong El Niño, Education Secretary Sonny Angara said Wednesday.
Angara said the department was strengthening its “Gulayan sa Paaralan” program and highlighting farm schools as potential contributors to food production as the country prepares for drier conditions.