School violence: Girl, 14, stabs 7 Grade 5 students
MANILA, Philippines — Armed with a kitchen knife, a female eighth grader, 14, attacked a Grade 5 classroom at Bethel Academy in General Trias City, Cavite on Tuesday, injuring seven students.
“Violence inside educational institutions is unacceptable and we will work closely with school authorities and local government officials to prevent similar incidents from happening again,” Philippine National Police chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez said yesterday, adding that the PNP is coordinating with schools to beef up their internal security measures.
At the time of the incident, probers said teachers were in a meeting and left students unattended.
Two students underwent surgery for severe injuries, General Trias Mayor Luis Ferrer IV said.
Authorities turned over the suspect to social welfare officials for medical and psychological evaluation.
Bethany Academy is cooperating with police, the local government and Department of Education.
The DepEd has urged the public to “respect the privacy, dignity and rights of all children involved and to refrain from spreading unverified information.”
The Alliance of Concerned Teachers said the incident “exposes long-standing gaps in school staffing and support systems.” – Bella Cariaso, Ed Amoroso
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