07/08/2026
𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐁𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐬, 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐒𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬
The murder of the 13-year-old student in a public school in Las Pias is perhaps a typical headline, but it should not be viewed as nothing more than just another one. It is a tragedy that serves as a stark reminder that the problems facing our schools go beyond textbooks and homework. After the incident, the Department of Education (DepEd) assigned trauma counselors to assist the students, teachers, and staff who were affected, hoping to help them cope with the pain. While they certainly need a lot of help, this should not be just a one-time program.
Our schools are designed to teach and mold our youth into responsible and contributing citizens. Any incident of violence within these premises mars the very intent of education and is far more than just a loss of a human life-it is a blow to the sense of security every student deserves. The trauma experienced by their classmates, teachers, and even their families would take a long time to heal, and although counseling would certainly help with the emotional baggage, we should see this as more than just another reason for therapy.
This incident surely brings to fore several issues such as campus security, conflict management and availability of mental health services for students. Security will do its share, but let us focus our attention more on promoting a culture where everyone is made to care about their fellow students and that where conflict is resolved peacefully and amicably. Counselors and mental health practitioners, together with our school heads, our teachers, parents and the community must identify young people who could be a danger to themselves or others long before they reach their breaking point.
Our students should feel safe walking into the school gates, not scared of being attacked or killed. It's nearly impossible for a student to properly absorb education when his primary concern remains his personal safety. Our schools must serve as a wake up call not just to our government agencies, but also to parents and members of the community, and together let's foster the responsibility to make our schools the places they were intended to be-havens for children to flourish, not sites for the tragic termination of their lives.
✍️Editorial Writer: Janfred G. Bagasol
🎨Editorial Cartooning: Prince Jan Dela Cruz
