The Department of Education (DepEd) noted that private schools may soon lose their permits to operate if they fail to comply with the provisions of the anti-bullying law.

“Private schools that fail to comply with the anti-bullying act shall be given notice of such failure by the division office. The school shall be given 30 days to comply,” DepEd Undersecretary Annalyn Sevilla said in an interview with another media outlet.

According to Education Secretary Leonor Briones, regional directors may suspend or revoke the permit or recognition of a private school that fails to comply with the requirements of Republic Act 10627 or the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013.

Under the law and its implementing rules and regulations, all public and private schools are mandated to adopt and implement child protection or anti-bullying policy, a copy of which should be submitted to the division office. They shall also submit to the division office within the first week of each school year a report on relevant information and statistics on bullying and retaliation from the preceding school year.

DepEd also added that bullying prevention programs in schools must be comprehensive and should involve all education stakeholders and personnel. It also added that they already called on schools to ensure the full implementation of the anti-bullying act following the Ateneo De Manila junior high school incident.

“This is a wake-up call for the entire community, for all those who believe in education, for all those who believe in the protection of learners, those who believe that schools should be safe for our learners. This problem has to be faced. The issue of bullying is not just a problem of Ateneo which can be solved with the dismissal of the student. It is also the problem of society itself,” Briones said.