Education advocates call for better school safety after Ateneo de Zamboanga shooting

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers says the alarming trend of school violence is indicative of a culture of brutality that has been ‘normalized’ through extrajudicial killings and attacks on human rights defenders Education advocates are calling for improved school safety measures following a deadly shooting at Ateneo de Zamboanga University. The Second Congressional Commission on Education is pushing for stricter anti-bullying policies, better mental health support, and the passage of a school safety bill. This is AI-generated. Read the article for full context. Report any errors. MANILA, Philippines – Education advocates clamored for better school safety measures after a shooting incident at the junior high school campus of the Ateneo de Zamboanga University (AdZU) in Zamboanga City left two students dead — including the alleged shooter — on Tuesday, August 18. The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) called for the stricter enforcement of anti-bullying policies in all school divisions, better mental health support, and tighter campus safety. EDCOM 2 is also seeking the passage of the school safety bill, which aims to address the growing issue of school violence in the Philippines. The AdZU shooting comes just two months after a similar incident at Tacloban City’s San Jose National High School claimed the lives of three students and injured 20 others. According to the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), the alarming trend of school-based violence is indicative of a culture of brutality that has been “normalized and instilled in the minds of many young people” through extrajudicial killings under the Duterte administration and continuing attacks on human rights defenders. “It is equally alarming that children can gain access to firearms. We call for a thorough investigation and accountability for those responsible for this grave failure to safeguard young people. Authorities must determine where the firearm came from, how it came into the child’s possession, and who was responsible for securing it,” ACT said in its statement about the AdZU shooting. With this, ACT urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to prioritize funding for mental and psychosocial support provided in schools. It also suggested the integration of a curriculum that encourages the youth to understand the gravity of human rights and social responsibility. Promise of mental health support, thorough probe The Department of Education (DepEd) said it is already coordinating with its mental health partners to provide psychological and psychosocial aid to those affected by the AdZU shooting. “DepEd stands with the Ateneo de Zamboanga community during this difficult time and is ready to extend whatever support and assistance we can to the affected learners, families, school, personnel, and concerned authorities,” the agency said. According to Education Secretary Sonny Angara, the DepEd’s Zamboanga Peninsula regional office has been directed to coordinate with AdZU to streamline mental healthcare efforts. Marcos, meanwhile, has instructed law enforcement agencies to thoroughly investigate the incident. “We will work with our schools and communities to strengthen the safeguards that protect our students and ensure that they can pursue their education without fear,” the President said. The DepEd recently urged authorities to implement stricter measures on gun ownership after a nine-year-old student was critically injured in a separate shooting incident in General Santos City on August 3. Ateneo solidarity Ateneo campuses in other parts of the Philippines have also extended their sympathies to AdZU, which has since suspended classes from Tuesday to Wednesday, August 19, to give students, teachers, and staff more time to recover from the fatal shooting. Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU) president Fr. Karel San Juan joined AdZU in mourning the lives that were lost, and at the same time, emphasized the university’s stance against gun violence. “There is no place for guns and armed violence in our schools and communities. A firearm must never become an answer to anger, conflict, grievance, or despair. We must reject any normalization of guns and violence in the lives of our young people,” San Juan said. Image from Ateneo de Davao University’s Facebook page “Our schools must be places where human life is protected and where students can learn without fear. This tragedy reminds us that protecting these spaces requires not only prayer and solidarity but also vigilance, responsibility, and concrete action,” he added. Ateneo de Manila University echoed AdDU’s sentiment that schools should be safe spaces for learning — not breeding grounds for violence. Image from Ateneo de Manila University’s Facebook page “Violence in any form is abhorrent, most especially when it results in the loss of young lives. We condemn, in no uncertain terms, the senseless violence that took the lives of members of the Ateneo de Zamboanga University community,” the university wrote in its statement. – Rappler.com How does this make you feel? Loading