THE Student Council Alliance of the Philippines (SCAP) welcomes the approval of the Classroom Management Support and Protection for Teachers Act by the House Committee on Basic Education and Culture and urges lawmakers to pass the proposed Comprehensive School Safety Framework.
SCAP participated in October 12's committee hearing on both measures. As a member of the Technical Working Group (TWG) for the Teacher Protection Act, the alliance continues to advance policies that recognize the interconnected welfare of teachers and learners.
“Teacher protection and student rights are not competing interests. Teachers deserve the support and protection they need to fulfill their responsibilities, while students deserve schools where their dignity, safety, and rights are upheld. We must not be forced to choose between protecting teachers and protecting learners,” said Matthew Silverio, SCAP Secretary-General.
SCAP supports clear classroom management guidelines, appropriate training, and access to legal and institutional assistance for teachers, alongside safeguards against abuse, due process, and nonviolent, rights-based approaches to discipline.
The alliance also calls for the passage of the proposed Comprehensive School Safety Framework, emphasizing that school safety must go beyond security guards and surveillance cameras. It must address bullying, child protection, mental health, emergency preparedness, accountability, and meaningful student participation in school safety councils and policymaking.
“Students must not be treated merely as beneficiaries of school policies. We must have a meaningful voice in decisions that directly affect our safety and well-being. A genuinely safe school is one where students are heard, their rights are respected, and their participation is recognized,” said Edrianna Villaruz, SCAP Spokesperson.
SCAP emphasizes that a safe learning environment requires adequate resources, accessible support services, and accountability mechanisms that respond to the actual needs of school communities.
“As a student teacher-intern, I recognize that the welfare of teachers and the learning environment of students are closely connected. Teachers need institutional support to teach effectively, while students need an environment where discipline is fair, nonviolent, and respectful of their rights. Both must be central to any school safety policy,” said Paul Bajado, Senator of the Bulacan State University (BulSU) Student Government and student teacher-intern.
With the Teacher Protection Act approved at the committee level, SCAP urges lawmakers to sustain its advancement and move the Comprehensive School Safety Framework toward passage. Both measures must reflect the realities of schools and meaningfully involve the teachers and learners whose lives they will affect.
- Student Council Alliance of the Philippines