By Brian Campued
Amid heightened concerns over school safety due to the spate of school violence involving minors, the Department of Education (DepEd) has imposed streamlined guidelines to address security violations within the campuses contained in DepEd Order (DO) 006, series of 2026, or the Guidelines on Ensuring a Safe and Motivating Learning Environment (ESMLE).
First issued in March earlier this year, the implementation of the EMSLE policy is pursuant to the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to harmonize learner protection measures across all public schools.
“Alinsunod sa layunin ni Pangulong Bongbong Marcos na tiyakin ang kapakanan at proteksyon sa mga paaralan, hindi natin papayagan ang anumang banta sa kaligtasan ng ating mga mag-aaral. Responsibilidad nating lahat na siguraduhin na ang bawat paaralan ay ligtas, payapa, at malayo sa takot o karahasan,” Angara said.
What are the safety and security measures implemented?
Under the initiative, DepEd has rolled out a range of security measures in public schools nationwide, including the use of handheld metal detectors, bag scanners, full-body electronic scanners, or search sticks for regular bag inspections.
Stricter visitor and vehicle management systems, along with expanded closed-circuit television (CCTV) coverage and the strategic deployment of security personnel were also being implemented with the help of Schools Division Offices, local governments, and other stakeholders.
It also reiterated the ban on the use of smartphones or electronic devices during class hours, unless needed for academic purposes, emergencies, or medical concerns.
According to the DepEd order, the following items are prohibited inside the school:
- Guns, daggers, brass knuckles, and other weapons;
- Explosives and incendiary devices;
- Hazardous chemicals; and
- Illegal substances
Meanwhile, items that are irrelevant to learning and are capable of causing disruption or harm will be confiscated unless explicitly required for school works, such as science experiments and sporting events.
These items include, but not limited to, common tools such as hammers or razor blades; flammable materials like lighters and vapes; as well as gambling and adult materials.
Three levels of offenses
The ESMLE guidelines also introduced disciplinary interventions on critical offenses based on severity, with the third-level resulting in preventive suspension of the erring learner or the imposition of maximum administrative sanctions of non-readmission or exclusion alongside automatic referral to law enforcement and other appropriate agencies,
Considered third-level offenses include:
- Making bomb threats or jokes
- Bringing deadly weapons
- Hazing
- Murder
- Sexual assault
- Joining street gangs
- Cheating during exams
- Inflicting serious physical injuries, whether inside or outside the school
- Bringing illegal drugs and liquor
- Acts of lasciviousness
- Sharing demeaning and obscene videos of oneself or other learners and school personnel
An erring student may be prohibited from being admitted for the following school year, but is allowed to complete the current school year, under the penalty of non-readmission.
However, in cases requiring the penalty of exclusion, the learner is immediately dropped from the class list of the school, with learning continuity allowed only through appropriate educational interventions.
Second-level offenses cover severe or repeated behaviors that go beyond minor violations, such as stalking, inflicting slight physical injuries, theft, intimidation, and harassment.
Penalties for these violations include mandatory suspension on the first offense, non-readmission on the second offense, and exclusion on the third offense.
First-level offenses, meanwhile, involve minor infractions such as uttering profanities inside school premises, simple vandalism, disruptive behavior, and sharing false information that can create confusion or commotion in the school.
Violators will get a written reprimand, a summons for parents, and a suspension.
Other measures outlined in the ESMLE guidelines include an anti-bullying policy template to be adopted by schools reflecting the respective needs of their learners and the community as well as a learner handbook containing reporting and response procedures for incidents in the campus, mental health and psychosocial support, and a code of conduct for both learners and personnel.
As part of its comprehensive School Safety Campaign, the DepEd is intensifying its efforts to ensure that schools remain safe havens where learners can study and grow free from fear or violence.
-jpv
