Child protection policies currently being finalized by DepEd to protect students in distance learning

On Monday, the Department of Education (DepEd) said that it’s finalizing a set of policies targeting to ensure the rights and welfare of the learners during the blended/distance learning.

Photo credit: mb.com.ph

Undersecretary for legal affairs Josephine Maribojoc said that learners may be exposed to different risks as learning shifted to home study because of the coronavirus. The Covid-19 brought big changes in the country's educational system.

Maribojoc said that there would be a new DepEd order to be released by late September or early October to add on the existing policies of DepEd on child protection.

Ito po ay isang Department Order na dadagdag sa mga probisyon ng Child Protection policy... upang tugunan ang mga risk and realities na maaaring maranasan ng mga bata sa home-based learning,

she said in a virtual press briefing.

[This is a Department Order that will add provisions to the Child Protection policy... to respond to the risks and realities that children may experience in home-based learning.]

Papatibayin din nito ang Child Protection committees at ang mga reporting mechanism. Magkakaroon din dito ng guidelines for online safety, 

she added.

[This will strengthen Child Protection committees and reporting mechanisms. It will also have guidelines for online safety.]

According to Maribojoc the risks that may threaten learners in the distance learning are corporal punishment, neglect of children, child labor, cyber bullying, online sexual abuse and exploitation, and exposure to online predators.

The DepEd held consultations with stakeholders and other government agencies are formulating the policies. Maribojoc said there will also be policies related to recording, seeking consent and the use of images for online classes.

The department is also ready to launch a secured learning management system (LMS) to prevent hackers from disrupting online classes, according to Abram Abanil, director of DepEd's information and communications technology.

We are confident na hindi tayo maha-hack, 

he said.

[We are confident that we will not be hacked,]

Abanil said students will be given DepEd email accounts which will be used for the LMS and to avoid hackers. Before the formal class opening, the department held several webinar series on child protection for parents and teachers, which can be viewed on Facebook.