Gatchalian wants Senate probe into bullying in Bagong Silangan High School
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian. Inquirer photo.
MANILA, Philippines—The Senate’s basic education panel will conduct a public hearing on April 8 to study Bagong Silangan High School’s bullying prevention policy.
This was confirmed by panel head Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian in a Monday press conference.
“Tomorrow, we have a hearing on that. Our focus is policy, not so much on the individual incidents but the policy,” Gatchalian told reporters when he was asked to comment on the matter.
Gatchalian said he is concerned about the seemingly rampant cases of bullying in Philippine schools which appear to be more violent than before.
This was after a viral video from Bagong Silangan High School in Quezon City showing three female students taking turns pulling a student’s hair.
READ: https://newsinfDeped probes alleged student bullying in Quezon City
`Very concerning’
“It’s very concerning, and it’s happening in our schools. That’s why we have a hearing tomorrow to know what the government should do what the government is doing and what our schools, principals, and parents are doing as well,” Gatchalian said.
For his part, the senator believes that the school’s policies to prevent bullying are outdated. He said one angle that his panel would look at is whether there are sufficient guidance counselors in the school to manage such instances.
“We now have a new law — the Mental Health and Wellbeing in Schools law. Pursuant to this, there’s a need for schools to hire psychologists and guidance counselors. Where are we in terms of that? A guidance counselor is an important person in school because they are the ones being consulted by children when they have a problem. They are the ones being consulted by parents, but admittedly we are lacking in terms of that so for now they have appointed what they call guidance teachers,” he said.
Gatchalian added that officials of Bagong Silangan High School would surely be present at the probe, but he added that the panel has yet to decide whether or not they would invite the parents of the bullied child.
