San Andres National High School Child Protection and Anti-Bullying Policies

Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
Region VIII
Division of Samar
SAN ANDRES NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
San Andres, Villareal, Samar

Policy Guidelines on Protecting Children in School from Abuse, Violence,

Exploitation, Discrimination, Bullying and Other Forms of Abuse
(Based on Deped Order No. 40, s.2012 and RA No. 10627)

I. GENERAL PROVISIONS

Section 1. Short Title

This school policy shall be known as the “San Andres National High School Child
Protection and Anti-Bullying Policies”

Section 2. Mission Statement

To provide a safe learning environment where students are valued, respected

and given equal opportunity to learn and develop to their full potential.

Section 3. Statement of Intent

San Andres National High School, in its pursuit to achieve DepEd’s mission of
promoting a child-friendly environment, gender-sensitive, and motivating environment,
is committed to adhere to the department’s policies of child protection and anti-bullying.
Every learner has the right to live in a safe environment. As a school where children
are envisioned to be the future leaders of this country, prompt and effective response
to all issues of bullying is ensured.

Section 4. Policy Objectives

This policy aims to:

1. ensure that school personnel, students, parents and others stakeholders have
a full knowledge and understanding on child protection and bullying;
2. guide persons concerned on procedures in handling bullying incidents;

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3. carry out non-punitive measures depending on the gravity of the bullying

committed by any student/learner;
4. create sound and fair decisions;
5. encourage school-age children to be in school; and
6. zero-out dropout rate.

Section 5. Scope and Coverage

The San Andres National High School Child Protection and Anti-Bullying Policies
will cover only to all students of San Andres National High School, San Andres, Villareal,
Samar. The policy will only be applicable to situations and activities happened within
the school premises.

Section 6. Definition of Terms (DepEd Order No. 40, s 2012; p-2)

A. “Child” – refers to any person below eighteen (18) years of age or those over
but are unable to fully take care of themselves or protect themselves from
abuse, neglect, cruelty, exploitation or discrimination because of a physical or
mental disability or condition; (RA 7610). For purposes of this Department Order,
the term also includes pupils or students who may be eighteen (18) years of age
or older but are in school.

B. “Children in school” – refers to bona fide students or learners who are

enrolled in the basic education system, whether regular, irregular, transferee or
repeater, including those who have been temporarily out of school, who are in
the school or learning centers premises or participating in school-sanctioned
activities.

C. “Pupil, student or learner” – means a child who regularly attends classes in

any level of the basic education system, under the supervision and tutelage of a
teacher or facilitator.

D. “School personnel” – means the persons, singly or collectively, working in a

public or private school. They are classified as follows:

a. School Head – refers to the chief executive officer or administrator of a

public or private school or learning center.

b. Other school officials – include other school officers, including teachers,

who are occupying supervisory positions or positions of responsibility, and
are involved in policy formulation or implementation in a school.

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c. Academic personnel – includes all school personnel who are formally

engaged in actual teaching service or research assignments, either on a
full-time or part-time basis, as well as those who possess certain
prescribed academic functions directly supportive of teaching, such as
registrars, librarians, guidance counselors, researchers, and other similar
persons. They may include school officials who are responsible for
academic matters, and other school officials.

d. Other personnel – includes all other non-academic personnel in school,

whatever my be the nature of their appointment and status of
employment.

E. “Child Protection” – refers to programs, services, procedures and structures

that are intended to prevent and respond to abuse, neglect, exploitation,
discrimination, and violence.

F. “Parents” – refers to biological parents, step-parents, adoptive parents, and the

common-law spouse or partner of the parent.

G. “Guardians or custodians” – refers to legal guardians, foster parents, and

other persons, including relatives or even non-relatives, who have physical
custody of the child.

H. “School visitor or guest” – refers to any person who visits the school and has
official business with the school, and any person who does not have any official
business but is found within the premises of the school. This may include those
who are within the school premises for certain reasons e.g. student teachers,
catechists, service providers, suppliers, bidders, parents and guardians of other
children.

I. “Child abuse” – refers to the maltreatment of a child, whether habitual or not,

which includes the following:

a. psychological or physical abuse, neglect, cruelty, sexual abuse, and

emotional maltreatment;

b. any act by deeds or words which debases, degrades or demeans the

intrinsic worth and dignity of a child as a human being;

c. unreasonable deprivation of the child’s basic needs for survival such as

food and shelter; or

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d. failure to immediately give medical treatment to an injured child resulting

in serious impairment of his or her growth and development or in the
child’s permanent incapacity or death (Sec. 3 [b], RA 7610).

J. “Discrimination against children” –refers to an act of exclusion, distinction,

restriction or preference which is based on any ground such as age, ethnicity,
sex, sexual orientation and gender, identity, language, religion, political or other
opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, being infected or affected by
Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
(AIDS), being pregnant, , being a child in conflict with the law, being a child with
disability or other status or condition, and which has the purpose or effect of
nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise by all persons, on
an equal footing, of all rights and freedoms.

K. “Child exploitation”– refers to the use of children for someone else’s

advantage, gratification or profit often resulting in an unjust, cruel, and harmful
treatment of the child. These activities disrupt the child’s normal physical and
mental health, education, moral or social emotional development. It covers
situations of manipulation, misuse, abuse, victimization, oppression, or ill-
treatment.

There are two (2) main forms of child exploitation that are recognized:

a. “Sexual exploitation” – refers to the abuse of a position of

vulnerability, differential power, or trust for sexual purposes. It includes,
but is not limited to forcing a child to participate in prostitution or the
production of pornographic materials, as a result of being subjected to a
threat, deception, coercion, abduction, force, abuse of authority, debt
bondage, fraud or through abuse of a victim’s vulnerability.

b. “Economic exploitation” – refers to the use of a child in work or other

activities for the benefit of others. Economic exploitation involves a certain
gain or profit through the production, distribution, and consumption of
good and services. This includes, but is not limited to illegal child labor as
defined in RA 9231.

L. “Violence against children committed in school” – refers to a single act or

a series of acts committed by school administrators, academic and non-academic
personnel against a child, which result in or is likely to result in physical, sexual,
psychological harm or suffering, or other abuses including threats of such acts,
battery, assault, coercion, harassment or arbitrary deprivation of liberty. It
includes, but is not limited to, the following acts:

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a. Physical violence refers to acts that inflict bodily or physical harm. It

includes assigning children to perform tasks which are hazardous to
their physical well-being;

b. Sexual violence refers to acts that are sexual in nature. It includes,

but is not limited to,

i. Rape, sexual harassment, acts of lasciviousness, making

demeaning and sexually suggestive remarks, physically
attacking the sexual parts of the victim’s body;

ii. Forcing the child to watch obscene publications and indecent

shows or forcing the child to do indecent sexual acts and/or to
engage or be involved in, the creation or distribution of such
films, indecent publication or material; and

iii. Acts causing or attempting to cause the child to engage in any

sexual activity by force, threat of force, physical or other harm
or threat of physical or other harm or coercion or through
inducements, gifts or favors.

c. Psychological violence refers to acts or omissions causing or likely

to cause mental or emotional suffering of the child, such as but not
limited to intimidation, harassment, stalking, damage to property,
public ridicule or humiliation, deduction or threat of deduction from
grade or merit as a form of punishment, and repeated verbal abuse.

d. Other acts of violence of a physical, sexual or psychological nature

that are prejudicial to the best interest of the child.

M. “Bullying or Peer Abuse” – refers to willful aggressive behavior that is

directed towards a particular victim who may be outnumbered, younger, weak,
with disability, less confident, or otherwise vulnerable. More particularly:

a. “Bullying” – is committed when a student commits an act or a series

of acts directed towards another student, or a series of single acts
directed towards several students in a school setting or a place of
learning, which results in physical and mental abuse, harassment,
intimidation, or humiliation. Such acts may consist of one or more of
the following:

1. Threats to inflict a wrong upon a person, honor or property of the

person or on his or her family;

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2. Stalking or constantly following or pursuing a person in his or her

daily activities with unwanted and obsessive attention;

3. Taking of property;

4. Public humiliation, or public and malicious imputation of a crime

or of a vice or defect, whether real or imaginary, or any act,
omission, condition, status, or circumstance tending to cause
dishonor, discredit, or expose a person to contempt.

5. Deliberate destruction or defacement of, or damage to the child’s

property;

6. Physical violence committed upon a student, which may or may

not result to harm or injury, with or without the aid of a weapon.
Such violence may be in form of mauling, hitting, punching,
kicking, throwing things at the student, pinching, spanking, or
other similar acts;

7. Demanding or requiring sexual or monetary favors, or exacting

money or property, from a pupil or student; and

8. Restraining liberty and freedom from a pupil or student.

b. “Cyber-bullying” – is any conduct defined in the preceding

paragraph, as resulting in harassment, intimidation, or humiliation,
through electronic means or other technology, such as, but not limited
to texting, email, instant messaging, chatting, internet, social
networking websites or other platforms or formats.

N. “Other acts of abuse by a pupil, student or learner” – refers to other

serious acts of abuse committed by a pupil, student or learner upon another
pupil, student or learner of the same school, not falling under the definition of
“bullying” in the preceding provisions, including, but not limited to, acts of
physical, sexual or psychological nature.

O. “Corporal punishment” – refers to a kind of punishment or penalty imposed

for an alleged or actual offense, which is carried out or inflicted for the purpose
of discipline, training or control, by a teacher, school administrator, an adult, or
any other child who has been given or has assumed authority or responsibility
for punishment or discipline. It includes physical, humiliating or degrading
punishment, including, but not limited to the following:

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a. Blows such as, but not limited to, beating, kicking, hitting, slapping, or
lashing, or any part of a child’s body, with or without the use of an
instrument such as, but not limited to a cane, broom, stick, whip or
belt;

b. Striking of a child’s face or head, such being declared as a “no contact

zone”;

c. Pulling hair, shaking, twisting joints, cutting or piercing skin, dragging,

pushing or throwing of a child;

d. Forcing a child to perform physically painful or damaging acts such as,

but not limited to, holding a weight or weights for an extended period
and kneeling on stones, salt, pebbles or other objects;

e. Deprivation of a child’s physical needs as a form of punishment;

f. Deliberate exposure to fire, ice, water, smoke, sunlight, rain, pepper,
alcohol, or forcing the child to swallow substances, dangerous
chemicals, and other materials that can cause discomfort or threaten
the child’s health, safety and sense of security such as, but not limited
to bleach or insecticides, excrement or urine;

g. Tying up a child;

h. Confinement, imprisonment or depriving the liberty of a child;

i. Verbal abuse or assaults, including intimidation or threat of bodily

harm, swearing or cursing, ridiculing or denigrating the child;

j. Forcing a child to wear a sign, to undress or disrobe, or to put on

anything that will make a child look or feel foolish, which belittles or
humiliates the child in front of others;

k. Permanent confiscation of personal property of pupils, students or

learners, except when such pieces of property pose a danger to the
child or to others; and

l. Other analogous acts.

P. “Positive and Non-violent Discipline of children” – is a way of thinking and

a holistic, constructive, and pro-active approach to teaching that helps children
develop appropriate thinking and behavior in the short and long-term and fosters
self-discipline. It is based on the fundamental principle that children are full
human beings with basic human rights. Positive discipline begins with setting the

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long –term goals or impacts that teachers want to have on their students’ adult
lives, and using everyday situations and challenges as opportunities to teach
long-life skills and values to students.

a. Progressive discipline – a whole-school approach that utilizes a

continuum of prevention programs, interventions, supports, and
consequences to address inappropriate student behavior and to build
upon strategies that promote and foster positive and productive
behavior. This means that when inappropriate behavior occurs,
disciplinary measures are applied within a framework that shifts the
focus from one that is solely punitive to one that is both corrective and
supportive.

b. Restorative discipline – a type of discipline used to respond to

incidents of bullying in order to repair harm to relationships. It refers
to a range of processes that are underpinned by the following
concepts:

1. Misconduct is a violation of people and relationships

2. These violations create obligations and liabilities

3. Problem-solving focuses on healing and making things right

II. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES (DepEd Order No. 40, s 2012; p-12)

Section 7. Duties and Responsibilities of School Head/Principal

The School Head or Principal shall have the following duties and responsibilities:

1. Ensure the institution of effective child protection policies and procedures

and monitor compliance thereof;

2. Ensure that the school adopts a child protection policy;

3. Ensure that all students/learners, school personnel, parents, guardians or

custodians and visitors are made aware of the child protection policy;

4. Organize and convene the Child Protection Committee for the school;

5. Conduct capacity-building activities for the members of the Child

Protection Committee and Guidance Counselors/Teachers;

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6. Conduct disciplinary proceedings in cases of offenses committed by the

student or learners;

7. Ensure that the participatory and other rights of children are respected
and upheld in all matters and procedures affecting their welfare;
8. Maintain a record of all proceedings related to bullying or peer abuse and
submit after each school year to the Division office the report and a copy
of the intake form;

9. Conduct the appropriate training and capability building activities on child

protection measures and protocols;

10. Ensure that the school adopts Student Code of Conduct to be followed by
every student/learner while on the school grounds, or when travelling to
and from school, or during a school-sponsored activity, and during lunch
period, whether on or off campus;

11. Adopt such conflict resolution mechanisms that respect the rights of
indigenous people, provided that they conform to this Department Order
and they uphold the rights of the child;

12. Coordinate with appropriate offices and other agencies or instrumentalities

for appropriate assistance and intervention, as may be required in the
performance of its functions;

13. Coordinate with the Department of Social Welfare and Development, or

the appropriate government agencies or non-governmental organizations
on a Child Protection Hotline for reporting abuse, violence, exploitation,
discrimination, bullying and other similar acts and for counselling;

14. Ensure that all incidents of abuse, violence, exploitation, discrimination,

and other similar acts are addressed in accordance with the provisions of
the Department Order.

Section 8. Duties and Responsibilities of Personnel

School personnel shall have the following duties and responsibilities:

1. Exercise special parental authority and responsibility over the child while
under their supervision, instruction and custody. Authority and
responsibility shall apply to all authorized activities whether inside or
outside the premises of the school, entity or institution;

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2. Keep them in their company and support, educate and instruct them by
right precept and good example;
3. Give them love and affection, advice and counsel, companionship and
understanding;

4. Enhance, protect, preserve and maintain their physical and mental health
at all times;

5. Furnish them with good and wholesome educational materials, supervise

their activities, recreation and association with others, protect them from
bad company and prevent them from acquiring habits detrimental to their
health, studies and morals;

6. Represent them in all matters affecting their interests;

7. Inculcate the value of respect and obedience;

8. Practice positive and non-violent discipline, as may be acquired under the

circumstances provided that in no case shall corporal punishment be
inflected upon them;

9. Perform such other duties as are imposed by law upon them, as substitute
parents or guardians;

10. School personnel shall also strictly comply with the school’s child
protection policy.

Section 9. Duties and Responsibilities of Students/Learners

Pupils, students and learners shall have the following duties and responsibilities:

1. Comply with the school’s regulations, as long as they are in harmony with
their best interests. Student/learners shall refrain from:

a. Engaging in discrimination, or leading a group of pupils or students

to discriminate another, with reference to one’s physical
appearance, weaknesses, and status of any sort;

b. Doing any act that is appropriate or sexually provocative;

c. Participating in behaviour of other students that is illegal, unsafe or

abusive;

d. Making or damaging school properties including books in any way;

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e. Engaging in fights or any aggressive behaviour;

f. Introducing into the school premises or otherwise possessing

prohibited articles such as deadly weapons, drugs, alcohol, toxic
and noxious substances, cigarettes, and pornographic materials;
and

g. Performing other similar acts that cause damage or injury to

another.

2. Conduct themselves in accordance with their levels of development,

maturity, and demonstrated capabilities, with a proper regard for welfare
of other persons;

3. Respect another person’s rights regardless of opinion, status, gender,

ethnicity, religion, as well as everyone’s moral and physical integrity;

4. Observe the Code of Conduct for students/learners.

Section 10. Child Protection Committee

The Child Protection Committee of San Andres National High School shall be
composed of the following:

1. School Head/Administrator - Chairperson

2. Guidance Counselor/Teacher - Vice Chairperson
3. Representative of the Teachers as designated by the Faculty Club
4. Representative of the Parents as designated by the Parents-Teachers
Association
5. Representative of the students as designated by the Supreme Student Council
(SSG)
6. Representative from the Community as designated by the Punong Barangay,
preferably a member of the Barangay Council for the Protection of Children
(BCPC)

Section 11. Functions of the Child Protection Committee

The Child Protection Committee shall perform the following functions:

1. Draft the school child protection policy with a code of conduct and a
plan to ensure child protection and safety, which shall be reviewed
every three (3) years.

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2. Initiate information dissemination programs and organize activities for

the protection of children from abuse, exploitation, violence,
discrimination and bullying or peer abuse;

3. Develop and implement a school-based referral and monitoring

system.

4. Establish a system for identifying students who maybe suffering from

significant harm based on any physical, emotional or behavioural
signs;

5. Identify, refer and, if appropriate, report to the appropriate offices

cases involving child abuse, exploitation, violence, discrimination and
bullying;

6. Give assistance to the parents or guardians, whenever necessary in

securing expert guidance counselling from the appropriate offices or
institutions;

7. Coordinate closely with the Women and Child Protection Desks of the
Philippine National Police (PNP), the Local Social Welfare and
Development Office (LSWDO), other government agencies, and non-
governmental organizations (NGOs), as may be appropriate;

8. Monitor the implementation of positive measures and effective

procedures in providing the necessary support for the child and for
those who care for the child; and

9. Ensure that the children’s right to be heard are respected and upheld
in all matters and procedures affecting their welfare.

III. PREVENTIONS AND INTERVENTION PROGRAMS

Section 12. Initial Intervention:

The following initial intervention shall be done:

1. Students and/or parents shall report incidence of bullying to any

member of the school child protection committee;

2. The committee member shall make it clear to the victim that revenge
is not the solution;

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3. The committee member shall record the details of the incident and
discuss it with the persons involved to ensure accuracy;

4. The bullying behaviour or threats shall be investigated with due

process;

5. Both parties shall be counselled fairly to resolve the problem;

6. A restorative meeting shall take place between the students involved.

The outcome shall include agreed strategies for ensuring there is no
further occurrence of bullying and to improve the working relationship
between the individuals involved;

7. Following the restorative meeting, an agreement contract shall be

made;

8. In all cases parents will be informed and be an opportunity to discuss

and resolve the problem;

9. Actions shall be made to help the bully (bullies) change their

behaviour;

10. A review meeting shall take place to assess how successful initial
intervention has been and decide whether any further action needs to
be taken.

Section 13. Further Intervention:

The following further intervention shall be conducted if necessary after the

conduct of the initial intervention:

1. If there is no significant change in behaviour of the bully a further

restorative meeting shall be arranged. The outcome will include a
contract of behaviour;

2. Parents will be updated regarding interventions and will be informed of

future actions which may need to put into place;

3. Further actions will be made to help the bully (bullies) change their
behaviour;
4. If the bullying behaviour continues, and counselling has not worked,
then sanctions follow. Appropriate sanctions will be applied to the bully
and if necessary and appropriate, police will be consulted;

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5. It is important that counselling is maintained for both parties, even

when sanctions have been applied.

Section 14. Outcomes

1. The bully (bullies) will be asked to genuinely apologise and must

engage in the restorative process with victim(s) in order to reconcile
the pupils.

2. Appropriate consequences will also be put into place to sanction the

behaviour and to educate the bully regarding appropriate behaviour.
In serious cases, suspension or even exclusion will be considered.

3. After the incident / incidents have been investigated and dealt with,
each case will be monitored to ensure repeated bullying does not take
place.

Section 15. Signs and Symptoms

A child may indicate by signs or behaviour that he or she is being

bullied. Adults should be aware of these possible signs and that they should
investigate if a child:

1. is frightened of walking to or from school;

2. is unwilling to go to school (school phobic);
3. begins to truant;
4. becomes withdrawn anxious, or lacking in confidence;
5. starts stammering;
6. cries themselves to sleep at night or has nightmares;
7. feels ill in the morning;
8. begins to do poorly in school work;
9. comes home with clothes torn or books damaged;
10. has possessions which are damaged or “go missing”;
11. asks for money or starts stealing money (to pay bully);
12. has unexplained cuts or bruises;
13. comes home starving (money/lunch has been stolen);
14. becomes aggressive, disruptive or unreasonable;

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15. is bullying other children or siblings;

16. stops eating;
17. is frightened ta say what’s wrong;
18. gives improbable excuses for any of the above;
19. Developing sleep problems and having nightmares.

IV. PROTECTIVE AND REMEDIAL MEASURES TO ADDRESS CHILD ABUSE,

EXPLOITATION, VIOLENCE, DISCRIMINATION, BULLYING AND OTHER
ACTS OF ABUSE

Section 16. Procedures in Handling Bullying Incidents. A complain for bullying

or peer abuse shall be acted upon by the School Head following the procedures herein
set forth:

a. Bullying – Upon the filling of a complaint or upon notice by a school personnel

or official of any bullying or peer abuse incident, the same shall be immediately
reported to the School Head, who shall inform the parents or guardian of the
victim and the offending child, in a meeting called for the purpose. The victim
and the offending child shall be referred to the Child Protection Committee for
counselling and other interventions. The penalty of reprimand, if warranted,
may be imposed by the School Head in the presence of the parents or guardians.

If bullying is committed for a second or subsequent time, after the offending

child has received counselling or other interventions, the penalty of suspension
for not more than one (1) week may be imposed by the School Head, if such is
warranted. During the period of suspension, the offending child and the parents
or guardians may be required to attend further seminars and counselling. The
School Head shall likewise unsure that the appropriate interventions, counselling
and other services, are provided for the victim for the victims of bullying.

b. Bullying that results in serious physical injuries or death – If the bullying

or peers abuse resulted in serious physical injuries or death, whenever
appropriate, the case shall be dealt with in accordance with the provisions of
Republic Act 9344 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations.

c. Procedures – In all cases where the imposable penalty on the offending child is
suspension, exclusion or expulsion, the following minimum requirements of due
process shall be complied with:

1. The child and the parents or guardians must be informed of the complaint
in writing;

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2. The child shall be given the opportunity to answer the complaint in

writing, the assistance of the parents or guardians;

3. The decision of the school head must be in writing, stating the facts and
the reasons for the decisions;

4. The decision of the school head may be appealed, as provided in existing

rules of the Department.

Section 17. Implementation of Non-punitive Measures. Depending on the

gravity of the bullying committed by any pupil, student or learner, the school may
impose other non-punitive measures, in lieu of punitive measures, in accordance with
the principles of Positive and Non-Violent Discipline.

Section 18. Other serious acts of violence or abuse. Other serious acts of
violence or abuse committed by a pupil, student or learner upon another pupil, student
or learner of the same school, shall, and whenever appropriate, be dealt with in
accordance with the provisions of Republic Act 9344 and its Implementing Rules and
Regulations.

V. RULES AND PROCEDURES IN HANDLING CHILD ABUSE, EXPLOITATION

Section 19. Prohibited Acts

The following acts, as defined in Section 6 of this Policy Order are hereby
prohibited ad shall be penalized in administrative proceedings as Grave or Simple
Misconduct depending on the gravity of the act and its consequences, under existing
laws, rules and regulations:

1. Child abuse;
2. Discrimination against children;
3. Child exploitation;
4. Violence Against Children in school;
5. Corporal punishment;
6. Bringing of deadly weapons (e.g. knife, gun, ice pick, etc.);
7. Stealing and destruction of school facilities;
8. Drinking liquor and attending classes drunk;
9. Using prohibited drugs (e.g. rugby, marijuana, shabu, etc.)
10. Cigarette smoking;

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11. Loitering during class hours and beyond;

12. Wearing of indecent attire, (e.g. sleeveless, net-like shirts, shorts, mini-skirt,
transparent clothes, etc.)
13. littering (i.e. throwing garbage anywhere;
14. Trespassing (i.e. entering the school without permission and using school as
passageway )
15. Being unfriendly, excluding, tormenting (e.g. hiding books, threatening
gestures);
16. Pushing, kicking, hitting, punching or any use of violence;
17. Racial taunts, graffiti, gestures;
18. Unwanted physical contact or sexually abusive comments;
19. Homophobic because of or focusing on the issue of sexuality;
20. Name-calling, sarcasm, spreading rumors, teasing;
21. Using cell phones during class hours;
22. Mobile threats by text messaging & calls, misuse of associated technology, i.e.
camera & video facilities;
23. Any analogous or similar acts.

Section 20. Investigation and Reporting. The conduct of investigation and

reporting of cases of child abuse, exploitation, violence or discrimination, shall be done
expeditiously, as herein provided.

A. The School Head or the Schools Division Superintendent, upon receipt of the
Complaint, shall forward the same, within forty-eight (48) hours, to the
Disciplinary Authority, who shall then issue an Order for the Conduct of a fact-
finding investigation, not later than seventy-two (72) hours from submission.
These periods shall be strictly observed, except when justified by circumstances
beyond their control; Provided, that, if the person complained of is a non-
teaching personnel, the Schools Division Superintendent shall cause the conduct
of a fact-finding investigation within the same period.
B. If a complaint is not sufficient in form, the concerned School Head, School
Division Superintendent, or Disciplining Authority shall immediately inform the
complainant of the requirements of a formal complaint. Upon the filing of the
formal complaint, the same shall be acted upon pursuant to the preceding
paragraphs.

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C. The conduct of a fact-finding investigation shall be in accordance with the

Revised Rules of Procedure of the Department of Education in Administrative
Cases. Pending investigation, upon referral of the School Principal or Guidance
Counselor/Teacher, the Local Social Welfare and Development Officer (LSWDO)
of the concerned local government unit shall assess the child and provide
psychosocial intervention to help the child victim recover from whatever trauma
he or she has experienced as a result of the abuse. The offender shall likewise
undergo psycho-social intervention, if such is warranted.

D. The Revised Rules of Procedure of the Department of Education in Administrative

Cases shall apply in all other aspects.

E. A complaint for education-related sexual harassment as defined under Resolution

No. 01-0940 of the Civil Service Commission must be in writing, signed and
sworn to by the complainant. It shall contain the following:

1. the full name and address of the complainant;

2. the full name, address, and position of the respondent;
3. a brief statement of the relevant facts;
4. evidence, in support of the complainant, if any;
5. a certification of non-forum shopping.

Section 21. Jurisdiction

Complaints of child abuse, violence, discrimination, exploitation, bullying and

other acts of abuse under this Policy Order shall be within the exclusive jurisdiction of
the School, and shall not be brought for amicable settlement before the Barangay,
subject to existing laws, rules and regulations. Complaints for acts committed by
persons not under the jurisdiction of the Disciplinary Authority of the School shall be
referred to the appropriate authority.

Section 22. Confidentiality

In child abuse, violence, discrimination, exploitation, bullying or peers abuse and

other acts of abuse by a pupil, student or learners the identity or information that may
reasonably identify the pupil, student or learner, whether from the public to protect his
or her privacy.

On the other hand, the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers protects the
rights of teachers and no publicity shall be given to any disciplinary action against a
teacher during the pendency of his or her case.

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 San Andres National High School Child Protection and Anti-Bullying Policies

Section 23. Criminal and Civil Liability

Criminal and civil liability arising from child abuse, discrimination, exploitation,
and other acts of abuse are separate and distinct, and shall not be a bar to the filing of
an administrative case under these guidelines.

VI. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

Section 24. Separability Clause

Any part or provision of this Policy Order which may be held invalid or
unconstitutional shall not affect the validity and effectivity of the other provisions.

Section 25. Effectivity

This school policy known as the “San Andres National High School Child
Protection and Anti-Bullying Policies” shall take effect immediately upon the approval of
the concerned DepEd authorities thereon.

CONCEPCION P. MABINI
Principal/CPC Chairperson

AILEEN C. LACAMBRA FE C. JABONETE FREDERICK V. SOLAYAO

Guidance Counselor-Designate Master Teacher-I General PTA President (SY 2014-2015)

CPC Vice Chairperson Teacher Representative Parent Representative

MARK ANTHONY T. SABUSAP HON. SAMUEL P. SABUGO

SSG President Punong Barangay
Student Representative Representative from the Community

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