The House of Representatives has recently approved on third and final reading a bill requiring all elementary and secondary schools to adopt policies that will prevent and address the acts of bullying in their institutions. House Bill 5496, to be known as the Anti-Bullying Act of 2012, seeks to provide students and their parents or guardians awareness of the impact of bullying and how it can be prevented or addressed. The bill was endorsed for plenary approval by the House Committee on Basic Education and Culture chaired by Rep. Salvador Escudero III (1st District, Sorsogon). The measure shall require all elementary and secondary schools to adopt policies that will address the existence of bullying in the respective institutions. The anti-bullying policies should be included in the schools student and employee handbook provided to students and parent-guardians, said Rep. Mary Mitzi Cajayon (2nd District, Caloocan City), one of the authors of the bill. Details of the anti-bullying policies should be conspicuously posted in school websites and school walls, Cajayon said. Under the bill, existing schools shall submit their anti-bullying policies to the Department of Education within six months upon effectivity of the law. All school-related bullying incidents must be reported to their respective schools division superintendents, who in turn shall compile and report to the Secretary of Education. The Department of Education (DepEd) is mandated to submit a report on bullying incidents to the appropriate Congressional committee and shall sanction school administrators for non-implementation of anti-bullying policies and non-compliance with the reportorial requirements. The bill requires the anti-bullying policies to be included as an administrative requirement prior to the operation of new schools. Furthermore, the measure mandates the DepEd to include in its training programs, courses or activities and opportunities for school administrators, teachers and other employees to develop their knowledge and skills in preventing bullying in schools. The measure refers to bullying as any severe or repeated use of written, verbal, or electronic expression, or a physical act or gesture, or any combination by one or more students directed at another student that has the effect of actually causing or placing the latter in a reasonable fear of physical or emotional harm or damage to the property, creating a hostile environment at school and Infringing on the rights of the other students at school. The co-authors of the bill are Reps. Christopher Co (Party List, AKO BICOL), Rodel Batocabe (Party List, AKO BICOL), Alfredo Garbin, Jr. (Party List, AKO BICOL) and Juan Edgardo Angara (Lone District, Aurora). SOURCE: Media Relations Service, Public Relations and Information Bureau
Posted on: Sun, 24 Nov 2013 01:50:48 +0000
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