DepEd warns school bullies: Change your ways or face removal

By Jordan Domingo

SCHOOL bullies in public schools in the country are being put on notice: amend your ways or face progressively heavier penalties that could eventually cost you your place in school.

A public-school teacher in Barangay Carolina, here, said the tougher sanctions could help teachers deal with habitual bullies who continue their behavior despite repeated interventions. “Bullying should not be allowed to become part of a child's daily experience in school. If a learner repeatedly hurts, threatens or humiliates others, there must be consequences,” she said.

Glenda Marfega, a mother of Grades 5 and 6 pupils at a public school in Barangay Penafrancia, here, welcomed the policy, saying parents need assurance that schools will protect children who are repeatedly subjected to bullying. “As parents, we want our children to go to school without fear. Children who bully others also need to understand that their actions have consequences,” she said.

A 65-year-old grandfather from Barangay Triangulo also favored firm action but stressed that discipline should not completely close the door to rehabilitation. “I agree that bullying must be stopped, but we should not give up on the child who commits it. Discipline should teach them to change, not make them feel that they no longer have a future,” he said.

The Department of Education (DepEd) has stepped up its crackdown on bullying, physical assault, threats and other acts that endanger learners, warning that it will not compromise the safety of the majority in giving offending students opportunities to change.

“We want to give our learners a chance to change, but we will never compromise the safety of the majority,” Education Secretary Sonny Angara said in Filipino.

The warning comes under DepEd Order No. 006, series of 2026, or the Guidelines on Ensuring a Safe and Motivating Learning Environment, which provides a graduated system of disciplinary measures depending on the seriousness and frequency of an offense.

Under the policy, minor offenses may result in a written reprimand, notification of parents and guidance counseling.

But repeated bullying and online harassment are classified as serious offenses that could lead to suspension of up to five days and mandatory referral to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). A second offense may result in non-readmission, while a third may lead to exclusion from the school.

Non-readmission means the learner may finish the current school year but will not be allowed to re-enroll the following academic year. Exclusion immediately removes the learner from the school's active rolls, although DepEd requires learning continuity through appropriate alternative educational interventions.

For high-risk acts involving severe physical harm, bomb threats or dangerous hoaxes, the penalties are even tougher. A first offense may result in non-readmission, a second in permanent exclusion and immediate referral to law enforcement authorities.

School heads may also impose a 30-day preventive suspension during an investigation if a learner is considered a continuing threat to school safety.

The message to habitual bullies is unmistakable: bullying is no longer something that can simply be dismissed as ordinary school mischief.

When a bullying incident is reported, the school’s Child Protection Committee must investigate immediately, protect the victim and provide mental health and psychosocial support to affected learners.

Teachers are expected to directly address precursors to bullying, while serious cases are elevated to the Learner Formation Officer and, for high-risk offenses, to the school head for appropriate action.

Parents of learner-offenders must be informed throughout the disciplinary process.

Beyond school sanctions, DepEd said referral to external authorities could expose offenders to possible criminal liability or custody interventions, depending on the offense and circumstances.

The policy also requires schools to coordinate with the Philippine National Police (PNP), DSWD, local government units and communities in dealing with serious safety threats, whether these occur on school premises or online.

The PNP, meanwhile, has offered to help schools and families identify warning signs of violent or criminal behavior among children.

PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez said the police are ready to conduct training sessions for parents and teachers on recognizing behavioral red flags and properly responding to threats involving children.

The police are also offering sessions on bullying, online sexual abuse and violent extremism, with the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group and Women and Children Protection Center taking part in the effort.

The initiative comes as DepEd expands its Kaagapay Program, which seeks to help parents identify warning signs in their children's behavior.

Support, but with caution

While the tougher measures have drawn support, some parents and educators said the policy should also be carefully studied to ensure that protecting victims does not unnecessarily destroy the future of children who commit offenses.

They said sanctions should be proportionate to the offense and that appropriate interventions should remain available, particularly for children whose behavior can still be corrected through counseling, parental intervention, values formation and other support programs.

A parent-educator said the ultimate objective should be to make schools safe without unnecessarily depriving children of their opportunity to reform and complete their education.

“We have to protect the victims, but we also have to think about the future of the child who committed the offense. The objective should be both safety and rehabilitation,” he said.

The challenge now, particularly for public schools in Bicol and elsewhere, is to ensure that the stricter rules are implemented consistently—protecting victims from further harm while giving erring learners a meaningful opportunity to correct their behavior.

For school bullies, however, the warning is already clear: change your ways before repeated bullying changes the course of your education and your future.