THE Department of Education (DepEd) on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, urged teachers to regularly check on the welfare of their students and watch for possible signs of unusual behavior amid a series of violent incidents involving learners both inside and outside schools.
In an interview, DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara emphasized the need for teachers to pay closer attention to changes in their students’ behavior, while acknowledging the shortage of guidance counselors in schools.
“Our teachers should monitor how students are doing while they are in school. They should watch for any unusual behavior because these could be possible triggers for violence,” Angara said in Tagalog during the launch of a feeding program by Rise Against Hunger at Quirino Elementary School in Quezon City.
“So if a child is depressed, has been absent for a long time, suddenly shows a decline in academic performance, or no longer talks to classmates, these are usually indicators of possible violent incidents,” he added.
The latest DepEd data show more than 4,000 vacant positions for guidance counselors and guidance coordinators in public schools.
Angara said the agency is hiring around 10,000 student counselor associates who have completed units in psychology or behavioral science, in line with Republic Act 11036, or the Philippine Mental Health Act.
These positions no longer require a professional license.
Gang violence
Meanwhile, in a separate interview, Angara said the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) have committed to intensify patrols around schools to prevent gang-related activities.
“We do not have enough funds to provide security guards for every school, so our suggestion is to start with the larger schools because we have observed that most violent incidents occur in schools with more than 1,000 to 1,500 students. That is where we should begin,” he said.
Angara added that for smaller schools, DepEd can seek the assistance of barangay tanods to patrol school premises and help deter violent incidents.
He also said DepEd is in the process of procuring metal detectors for deployment in schools.
In June, three students were killed and 20 others were injured in a shooting carried out by two students inside San Jose National High School.
Another incident occurred at a private school in General Trias, where seven students were wounded in a stabbing attack carried out by a female student.
Last week, a 13-year-old student of Las Piñas National High School died after being stabbed by a classmate. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)
