Hanoi (VNA) – The Philippine Department of Education has requested schools nationwide to conduct a safety drill on August 25 to enhance their ability to respond to attacks, amid growing concerns over a series of recent school shootings, media in the Philippines reported on August 21.
Schools are required to develop, review or update response plans for possible attacks and share the approved plans with local authorities, the Philippine National Police, and parent-teacher associations.
Since the beginning of this year, the Philippines has witnessed a series of school shootings that have left several students dead and injured. The situation has increased public pressure on the government to strengthen measures to ensure school safety.
Just three days earlier, a shooting at an educational facility in Zamboanga city in the southern Philippines left one student dead and another injured. The gunman committed suicide shortly afterward./.