DepEd regrets lack of guidance counselors, vows to fix pay issue

Amid a series of recent violent incidents in school campuses, the Department of Education (DepEd) on Saturday admitted a scarcity of guidance counselors to attend to the psychosocial needs of students -- due to low pay and "lack" of career progression.

“Nahihirapan tayo mag provide ng guidance counselors sa lahat ng paaralan dahil sa salary grade ng guidance counselors,” DepEd spokesperson Michael Poa said in an interview on Dobol B TV.

“Parang wala silang career progression sa ngayon,” Poa added.

On Thursday morning, a 12 year-old student accidentally shot himself with a gun he brought inside the Benito Nieto Elementary School in San Jose Del Monte City, Bulacan.

Last week, a 13-year-old student died after a fellow minor student stabbed him inside the Culiat High School in Quezon City.

Poa claimed that these violent incidents involving young students may be related to mental health issues.

“The problem is deeper than security,” he pointed out, adding that the presence of guidance counselors in every school could help address the mental health needs of students.

“Ang teachers, meron po ‘yang teacher 1, teacher 2, teacher 3. Pero pagdating ng sa counselors nakikita natin ‘yung kawalan ng ganoong progression and that is something we like to work on,” Poa said.

“Ayoko muna i-preempt but that is something the Vice President would like to address sa kanyang basic education report this Monday,” he added.

Earlier, the DepEd said it will tap mental health experts and advocates to craft and implement programs to address violence in schools involving students.

“This is an opportunity for us lalo na ngayong we are reviewing the K to 12 curriculum to put in the subjects na hindi lang makatutulong sa academics kundi pati sa mental health at internet use,” Poa said.

Regarding security concerns in schools, Poa said Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte has tasked all regional and schools division offices to coordinate with the Philippine National Police in determining which schools need spot inspections of weapons among learners and staff members. —LBG, GMA Integrated News