23/08/2025
𝗢𝗣𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗢𝗡| 𝐕𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬: 𝐀 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐖𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐈𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐞
How safe are our teachers today?
This is not just a rhetorical question, but one that becomes more urgent every time another story of violence against educators makes the news. It is alarming that teaching, once considered one of the most noble professions, is now becoming one of the most unsafe jobs in the Philippines. In just the past few months, shocking cases of violence against teachers have surfaced, leaving not just their families grieving but also communities questioning how safe our schools truly are.
One tragic case happened on August 4, 2025, in Lanao del Sur. High school teacher Danilo Barba Jr. of Balabagan Trade School was shot dead by his own Grade 11 student right outside the school premises. Reports revealed that the student admitted he carried out the attack after being given a failing grade. The shooting happened early in the morning, in front of other students and faculty members who were arriving at school.
This is not just an isolated crime. Only a few months earlier, in March 2025, another teacher lost her life in a disturbing act of domestic violence inside her own workplace. At Lydia Aguilar National High School in Las Piñas, a female teacher was stabbed 37 times by her estranged husband right in the faculty room. Colleagues and even a school guard witnessed the horrific attack, but despite being rushed to the hospital, she did not survive.
These two cases, different as they are, both happened in spaces where teachers should have been safe—schools. Instead, one died because of a student who couldn’t accept failure, and the other died from an abusive relationship that spilled into the classroom. They expose how fragile teacher safety has become.
The Department of Education responded after the Lanao del Sur shooting by releasing a memo to tighten school security: things like bag inspections, limiting access points, and monitoring threats more closely. But it raises the question—why did it take deaths before such steps were taken? And more importantly, will these really prevent violence that can come from inside the classroom itself?
Teachers are not just instructors, they’re also human beings carrying personal struggles, professional stress, and risks that too often go unnoticed. Their protection cannot only be reactive, like installing guards or cameras after tragedy strikes. They need mental health support, conflict mediation systems, and clear legal protections that discourage violence against them.
For example, teachers who constantly face pressure from parents or students over grades often don’t have access to counselors or psychologists who can help them process the stress. Some schools don’t even have guidance counselors for students, much less for teachers. Simple steps like regular wellness programs, counseling hotlines, or partnerships with local mental health professionals could provide teachers with a safe outlet before conflicts escalate.
Conflict mediation systems are also missing in many schools. When disputes arise—whether it’s about grades, classroom behavior, or even bullying—teachers are usually left to resolve them alone. If there were trained mediators or formal grievance desks in schools, disagreements could be addressed calmly instead of turning into violent confrontations. This would also discourage the idea that violence is the only way to “solve” problems.
And lastly, clear legal protections must be strengthened. While there are already laws like the “Anti-Bullying Act” and child protection policies, there’s little that directly protects teachers from threats, harassment, or physical violence. For instance, a teacher who is constantly being harassed by a parent or a student has limited options—filing a police blotter or requesting transfer, both of which are reactive and too late. A stronger “Teacher Protection Act” could spell out penalties for attacks against educators and provide them with legal aid when they are in danger.
The sad truth is, these stories will keep repeating if the cycle is not broken. It’s not just about punishing offenders but about creating safer environments for the people who dedicate their lives to education.
When a teacher falls victim to violence, it is not only a life that is taken, but also the wisdom, guidance, and inspiration that could have touched countless students. These tragic deaths serve as a wake-up call that protecting our teachers must never be seen as secondary.
At the end of the day, if we cannot even guarantee the safety of our teachers inside schools, then how can we guarantee the future of the students they are teaching? Protecting teachers is not just about them—it’s about protecting the classrooms, the communities, and the generations they shape.
𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞(𝐬):
Philippine News Agency (PNA). (2025, August 12). Senior high student shoots teacher in Lanao del Sur. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1255777
Helpline PH. (2025, March 12). Public teacher fatally attacked by husband inside Las Piñas school. https://helplineph.com/news/public-teacher-attacked-husband-las-pinas/
Article by: Jesse Mari Bayoneta
Illustration by: Ed Lorenz Legario
