During a recent parents and teachers conference organized by Schola De Vita, a private school in Las Piñas City, Registered Guidance Counselor and Psychometrician Candy Mauricio began with an invitation to reflect on the needs of learners to feel safe within their environment, and ultimately thrive.
“Safety is not only for a particular group in the population but it is actually embraced by all as a shared responsibility,” said the Certified International Trainer for Mental Health First Response while highlighting the importance of humility and trust in nurturing learners and whole school communities.
On modeling to children how parents and guardians respond towards safety, Mauricio said that the school aligns with parents “because we want to make sure that what we do in school and what you do at home are aligned, at least the shared vision, the context on how do we respond not only appropriately but also the values that we are upholding.”
Amidst the unsettling events happening in our schools nationwide, I thought that reflection was one of the things we must to prioritize.
The sheer violence occurred in places we have long considered zones of peace. And it came as a shock because, unfortunately, the alleged perpetrators, who were minors and students, were the very individuals we seek to protect. With that conversation, I was reminded that the children and youth involved on either side of these conflicts were, themselves, victims.
Though endowed with human rights like every other individual, children and youth are naturally in a vulnerable state because, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund or UNICEF, they rely heavily on adults, families, and communities for basic needs such as food, housing, and medical care.
Add to this the prevalence of modern risks identified by the United Nations, including cyberbullying, online exploitation, and harmful data tracking, children and youth face ever-present threats to their well-being, particularly in digital spaces.
Meg Aquino-Cuenca, Schola De Vita’s School Director, empathized with the parents. Many shared the sentiment that one could hardly sleep over the disturbing events being reported in the news.
This time, assurances from school heads about school safety would have fallen short of allaying parents’ fears. But not at Schola. Since the pandemic, the school has been proactive in partnering with parents to support their children’s continuing education and overall well-being.
“At Schola De Vita, we continue to invest in programs that help our students, teachers, and parents grow together—through leadership seminars, guidance-led anti-bullying programs, parenting seminars, values convocations, and other formation activities,” said Aquino-Cuenca.
She added that these initiatives are part of their commitment to developing leaders, compassionate individuals, and a community that look after one another.
In the same conference, child development champion Dr. Claudette Tandoc advocated for family meetings.
She promoted safe and open conversations among family members, and especially for parents to be intentional at walking alongside their children. “You have to go beyond Kumusta,” encouraged Dr. Tandoc, adding that parents may even ask their children who they were with during breaks and what they talked about.
Another interesting insight that Dr. Tandoc shared was about checking the digital activity of children. “Monitor, regulate, kung pwede, sit down with them. If you want, play with them and then ask process. Okay, so ano’ng nangyari dito, natalo na si game, so papaano ang proseso ng game na ‘to? Alam nila, dear parents, na may pakialam ka. You care, that’s why you’re asking questions.”
With these growing challenges in schools, families and communities may need time to understand the solutions needed to sustain a safe and supportive environment.
Such is the school of life, schola de vita. The hardest lessons often shape us the most. By God’s grace, we will all get through this.
