MODULE 6

C. Child Protection Policy (Deped Order No. 40, s. 2012)

This is the policy and Guidelines on Protecting Children in School from Abuse, Violence,
Exploitation, Discrimination, Bullying and Other Forms of Abuse.
Duties and Responsibilities
School School Personnel Pupils, Students and Learners
1. Ensure the institution of 1. Exercise special parental 1. Comply with the school’s
effective child protection and authority and responsibility regulations, as long as they are
procedures, and monitor over the child while under in harmony with their best
compliance thereof; their supervision, instruction interests. They shall refrain
2. Ensure that the school and custody. (Art. 220 and from
adopts a child protection 233 of the Family Code of the a. Engaging in discrimination,
policy; Philippines, PD No. 603 and or leading a group of pupils or
3. Ensure that all pupils, other related laws.) students to discriminate
students or learners, school 2. Keep them in their company another, with reference to
personnel, parents, guardians and support, educate and one’s physical appearance,
or custodians, and visitors and instruct them by right precept weaknesses and status of any
guests are made aware of CPP. and good example. sort:
4. Organize and convene the 3. Give them love and b. Doing any act that is
Child Protection Committee affection, advice and counsel, inappropriate or sexually
for the school; companionship and provocative.
5. Conduct the capacity understanding; c. Participating in behavior of
building activities for the 4. Enhance, protect, preserve other students that is illegal,
members of the CPC and and maintain their physical unsafe or abusive;
guidance counselors/teachers; and mental health at all times; d. Marking or damaging
6. Conduct disciplinary 5. Furnish them with good and school property, including
proceedings in cases of wholesome educational books, in any way
offenses committed by pupils, materials, supervise their e. Engaging in fights or any
students or learners; activities, recreation and aggressive behavior;
….. association with others, f. Introducing into the school
protect them from bad premises or otherwise
company and prevent them possessing prohibited articles
from acquiring habits such as deadly weapons,
detrimental to their health, drugs, alcohol, toxic and
studies, and morals; noxious substances, cigarettes
6. Represent them in all and pornographic material;
matters affecting their g. Performing other similar
interests; acts that cause damage or
7. Inculcate the value of injury to another.
respect and obedience. 2. Conduct themselves in
8. Practice positive and non- accordance with their levels of
violent discipline, as may be development, maturity, and
required under the demonstrated capabilities,
circumstances; provided that with a proper regard for the
 in no case shall corporal rights and welfare of other
punishment be inflicted upon persons.
them; 3. Respect another person’s
9. Perform such other duties as rights regardless of opinion,
are imposed by law upon status, gender, ethnicity,
them, as substitutes parents or religion, as well as everyone’s
guardians; and moral and physical integrity;
10. School personnel shall and
also strictly comply with the 4. Observe the Code of
school’s CPP. Conduct for pupils, students
and learners.
All public and private elementary and secondary schools shall establish a Child Protection
Committee (CPC) composed of
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-Teacher Association
5. Representative of pupils, students and learners as designated by the Supreme Student
Council.
6. Representative from the Community as designated by the Punong Barangay, preferably a
member of the Barangay Council for the Protection of Children (BCPC)

Procedures in Handling Bullying Incidents in School (Article 4 Section 12)

1. Upon receipt of complaint, the School head shall inform the parents or guardian of the
victim and the offending child in a meeting. The victim and the offending child shall be
referred to the Child Protection Committee for counseling and other inventions. The
penalty of reprimand, if warranted, may be imposed by the School head in the presence
of the parents of guardians.

2. For repeat offenders, the offending child will have a penalty (suspension for not more
than one (1) week, if such is warranted. During the suspension, offending children and
parents/guardians may be required to attend further seminars and counseling. The victim
of the bullying shall likewise have appropriate interventions, counseling and other
services.

3. Bullying that results in serious physical injuries or death shall be dealt with in accordance
with RA 9344.

When the penalty on the offending child is suspension, exclusion or expulsion

1. The child and the parent/guardians must be informed in writing
2. The child shall be given the opportunity to answer the complaint in writing, with the
assistance of the parents /guardians
3. The decision of the school head must be in writing, stating the facts and the reasons for the
decision.
4. The decision of the school head may be appealed as provided by DepEd.
D. Positive and Non Violent Discipline of Children
Positive Discipline is a way of thinking and a holistic, constructive and proactive 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 discipline of children and full
human beings with basic human rights.

Positive discipline begins with setting the long-term goals or impacts that teachers want to have
on their students' lives, and using everyday situations and challenges as opportunities to teach
life-long skills and values to students.

How is Positive Discipline practiced?

Positive discipline has five components:

1. Identifying your long-term goals – The aim of education is to prepare students for success in
their adult lives. We can turn short-term challenges into opportunities to work towards our long-
term goals by teaching children how to manage stress, respect themselves and others, and be
successful learners.
2. Providing warmth and structure
Warmth – Students learn best when they feel respected, understood, trusted, and safe. A warm
classroom environment is the foundation for meeting your long-term goals.
Structure – It is the information and support that students need in order to succeed academically
and behaviorally. When students know what is expected of them, and believe they will get the
information needed to meet those expectations, they become more confident in their learning
ability and they want to learn more.
3. Understanding child development – Teachers are well aware that children change as they
grow. Development is an ongoing, never-ending process. It is because children change that we
are able to teach them new information and new skills. All learning builds on prior learning –
and forms a foundation for future learning.
But children do not learn in the same way at every age. Their ways of thinking and
understanding change, so the ways that we teach them must change as well. Expectations need
to match students’ abilities.
4. Identifying individual differences – While all children go through the same stages of
development, they do so within different environments, cultures, and with different personalities,
talents and abilities. Every class is made up of a group of individual students, each with his or
her own story. Teachers need to find out the different stories in their classrooms.
5. Problem-solving and responding with positive discipline – Sometimes students’ behaviors can
be mystifying to teachers. “Why won’t she stop talking?” “Why can’t he just do his homework?”
Once a teacher has identified her long-term goals, understands the importance of providing
warmth and structure, understands child development and recognises the importance of
individual differences, she will have the information she needs to solve these challenges by
responding with positive discipline.
Remember that a student needs to feel respected, understood, and safe. Discipline is not about
punishment. It is not always easy to respond constructively in challenging situations. Positive
discipline takes thought and practice.
The foundation of positive discipline is child rights and pedagogical principles.