DepEd pushes back nationwide active shooter drills to September

The Department of Education (DepEd) announced Monday that it is rescheduling its Simultaneous School Safety Drill for Active Attack Incidents from August 25 to the first week of September. The postponement comes as severe weather conditions and suspension of face-to-face classes in several areas have made it impractical to proceed with the nationwide exercise as originally planned.

The safety drill is designed to test institutional readiness and familiarize students and school personnel with emergency response procedures in the event of an armed attack on school premises. Such drills are standard protocol in many educational systems to ensure rapid evacuation and protective measures can be executed effectively.

The DepEd cited logistics and widespread class cancellations as primary factors in the delay. Officials determined that conducting the drill during a period when numerous schools were already closed due to weather would undermine the exercise's effectiveness and participation rates.

The revised schedule will allow more schools across the archipelago to participate fully in the safety drill. The department has not announced specific dates within the first week of September, but schools are expected to receive detailed guidelines in advance of the new schedule.