The Department of Education (DepEd) is strengthening its threat assessment system to identify students who may need intervention, with repeated absences now being considered a possible early warning sign.
DepEd Undersecretary Malcolm Garma told a Senate hearing Thursday that the department is taking a closer look at attendance patterns following the recent school shooting incidents in Tacloban City and Zamboanga City.
“In fact, we’re already starting to make an inventory, a more serious inventory on the absences ng mga bata. Kasi pagka madalas na nag-absent yung bata, medyo red flag na dapat yun,” Garma said.
He said frequent absences could indicate that a learner is facing problems that may require closer attention, although an absence alone does not establish that a student poses a threat.
Garma acknowledged that teachers handling large classes may have difficulty identifying attendance patterns that could point to a deeper concern.
“But this time, we’ll have to make it serious,” he said.
DepEd is also exploring the use of artificial intelligence to track attendance and identify patterns that could indicate that a learner is at risk of dropping out or showing other warning signs.
The initiative forms part of a broader threat assessment system that examines human-induced threats, behavioral changes and other risk indicators among students.
Garma said DepEd is also mapping areas where threats appear more prevalent so the department can prioritize limited resources.
“Based on our initial mapping, Madam Chair, it really happens on yung mga highly urbanized areas,” he said.
The department plans to initially deploy 10,000 school counselor associates in identified hotspots. Garma said, however, that nearly 46,000 counselor associates would be needed to achieve the desired ratio nationwide.
He said counselor associates would focus on preventive mental health concerns, while learner formation officers would handle disciplinary matters and anti-bullying interventions to keep the two functions distinct.
DepEd is also strengthening mechanisms that allow students to report warning signs or threats involving classmates without revealing their identities.
Garma said the department’s existing safe learning environment policy provides channels for anonymous reporting, with teachers initially receiving and assessing reports before serious threats are elevated to higher authorities.
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