Angara urges public to address school violence as a community

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Education Secretary Sonny Angara on Monday urged the public to work together to address emerging challenges facing young people, particularly school violence.

Angara made the call as he led the “School Safety Pledge” ceremony and the signing of a commitment wall at Cainta Elementary School in Cainta, Rizal.

“This is the new reality confronting us. We must address it head-on as a community because we are not powerless in this situation. There is a lot we can do,” Angara said in his speech.

“We have many tools at our disposal to address the challenges facing our schools. But we need to work together as a community that loves our children and cares about their future,” he added.

Angara cited a recent incident in which students at a private school refused to attend classes after receiving online threats from a fellow student.

“The problems in schools have spilled over into the community, becoming peace and order concerns,” Angara said.

“That is why we took the school safety pledge: to be more vigilant in protecting our children. We will find out whom they talk to and interact with, both online and in person,” he added.

By signing the School Safety Commitment Wall, school personnel, community officials, law enforcement representatives, parents and other stakeholders affirmed their shared responsibility to protect every child's safety and well-being.

The activity was part of the opening of National School Safety Week, which promotes safe, inclusive, protective and supportive learning environments.— MCG, GMA News

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