While anti-bullying policies, such as Social and Emotional Learning, are “embedded” in the MATATAG curriculum, monitoring teachers’ capacity and actual implementation of these policies have become a challenge due to factors such as the high teacher-student ratio, difficulty in curriculum implementation, and the mismatch between teachers’ training and their assigned subjects.
These were the challenges found during the Second Congressional Commission on Education’s (EDCOM 2) second Technical Working Group (TWG) meeting to review and amend the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of RA 10627, or the Anti-Bullying Law of 2013. The meeting, held on August 5, brought together key stakeholders and aimed to identify and adapt best anti-bullying practices for implementation in DepEd schools.
“There is a curriculum document, but we want to know what is actually happening in classrooms…How do you know that the documents you develop are actually being implemented?”, EDCOM 2 Standing Committee for Basic Education member and De La Salle University Distinguished Professor Dr. Allan B. I. Bernardo said.
“The monitoring, somehow, doon kami nagkakaroon ng gap…Ang daming layer. Doon kami medyo…We’re not really confident as to how it was really delivered in the classroom”, Ms. Carmencita Aguas, Senior Education Program Specialist at the DepEd Bureau of Learning Delivery – Teaching and Learning Division admitted.
Aside from Dr. Bernardo, the meeting was attended by EDCOM 2 Chief Legal Officer Atty. Joseph Noel Estrada, Chief Technical Specialist Krupskaya Añonuevo, OIC-Director IV, DepEd Bureau of Learner Support Services Atty. Suzette T. Gannaban-Medina, Department of Health Medical Officer IV Health Promotion Bureau Dr. Aimee Capinpuyan, representatives from the School Division Offices of Valenzuela City and Tanauan City, school officials from Xavier School San Juan, and representatives from the Child Neurology Society of the Philippines, and representatives from the Philippine Council for Mental Health.
Challenges in monitoring implementation of anti-bullying policies
Jona Kristen Valdez, Senior Education Specialist at the Bureau of Curriculum Development at DepEd, presented the Department’s efforts to integrate Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), anti-bullying, and rights-based education lessons into the MATATAG curriculum.
Manuals and materials around these competencies are developed and distributed by the Bureau, which then cascades them to the regions and divisions. Monitoring whether or not teachers actually know and apply these principles, however, is a challenge. She pointed out that the high teacher-student ratio in classrooms, and the mismatch between teachers’ training and their assigned subjects have made it difficult for the Bureau to track compliance.
Mr. Elias K. Santos II, LRPO Focal Person from the Division of Valenzuela City, shared that their experiential approach to teacher training has been effective.
“Kailangan may passion ka kapag tinuro mo yung SEL. Hindi to yung parang theories na icacascade lang,” he emphasized. He also noted that teachers need to fully communicate the impact of bullying to their students.
At the Division level, he also shared that Valenzuela City’s Local School Board has also taken proactive measures by placing guidance coordinators or advocates in schools to address the shortage of Registered Guidance Counselors (RGCs). These coordinators are Psychology graduates of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Valenzuela, helping to bridge the gap in providing student support in classrooms.
Santos further noted that incorporating anti-bullying initiatives into the in-service training of teachers, rather than large plenary sessions, has led to more cooperative and effective participation from educators.
The Commission also consulted private schools, such as Xavier School San Juan. Assistant Principals Chaveli Dela Cerna and Ria Orqueza shared that the school has a clear system of reporting, with a confidential investigation process that ensures the protection of witnesses and victims.
While there are notable practices both in public and private schools, challenges in implementation are still apparent. This is especially true in DepEd schools, where compliance and curriculum implementation are still major issues.
“Nandoon yung papel, pero kung paano i-implement, ‘yun yung iba, ano? While there is appreciation of what DepEd is trying to do, ultimately the framework is a very abstract thing that might not be actually acquired at the school level”, noted Dr. Bernardo.
Bernardo further emphasized, “We have to make sure that it goes to the level of the classroom, and not just on paper”.
“I think we know that action happens at different levels specifically because curriculum prescriptions tend to be washed out by the very school environment in which the children interact. The very community that they interact [with] sometimes subverts the intentions of the curriculum”, he further observed.
Dr. Bernardo is the lead researcher in a series of five studies Commissioned by EDCOM 2 with De La Salle University that tackle the issue of bullying in Philippine schools.
The PISA 2018 and 2022 assessments found that the country had the highest percentage of bullying among all participating countries and territories – an alarming statistic that has led to the country’s moniker as the “bullying capital of the world”.
EDCOM 2’s Anti-bullying TWG meeting underscored the importance of adapting effective practices from both private and public sectors to enhance the IRR of the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013. Future TWG meetings will focus on conducting focus group discussions with selected stakeholders in Navotas and Tacloban City.
