MANILA, Philippines — A nationwide school safety exercise designed to prepare Filipino students and school personnel for active attacks is facing growing scrutiny from mental health and medical experts, who warn that highly realistic simulations could cause psychological distress without clear evidence that they actually reduce casualties.
The Philippine Psychiatric Association (PPA) and the Philippine Society for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (PSCAP) have called on the Department of Education (DepEd) to defer its planned nationwide active-attack drills, saying schools should prioritize preparedness while avoiding exercises that unnecessarily expose children to simulated violence.
The groups said existing evidence does not establish that high-intensity active-shooter simulations reduce casualties or prevent attacks. At the same time, studies have documented possible psychological effects associated with exposure to realistic violence simulations.
The controversy comes as Philippine schools face heightened concerns about campus security following recent incidents of violence, including the deadly shooting at Ateneo de Zamboanga University.
WHY PSYCHIATRISTS ARE RAISING THE ALARM
In their joint position, the psychiatric organizations acknowledged that schools need effective plans for responding to violent emergencies.
Their concern is how that preparedness is achieved.
The groups specifically objected to hyper-realistic scenarios involving simulated violence, arguing that children should not be subjected to unnecessary psychological stress simply to demonstrate emergency procedures.
They pointed to research indicating that high-intensity simulations may produce anxiety, distress and other negative psychological effects, while evidence that such realistic exercises provide additional safety benefits remains insufficient.
The Philippine Pediatric Society likewise said evidence surrounding children’s participation in active-attack and lockdown drills remains limited or mixed.
The pediatric group urged DepEd to consider nonsimulated preparedness activities while undertaking a technical review of protocols involving students.
WHAT THE EXPERTS WANT INSTEAD
Rather than staging realistic attacks involving simulated gunfire, screaming or mock assailants, the psychiatric groups have suggested discussion-based tabletop exercises.
Under such an approach, teachers, school administrators and parents could work through hypothetical emergencies without physically placing students inside a simulated attack.
The exercises could address practical questions such as who secures classrooms, who contacts emergency authorities, where students should go and how families are reunited after an incident.
The groups also recommended strengthening basic school security, including controlled access, improved monitoring around campuses and coordination with mental health professionals.
They called for education, health and child-protection authorities to work with psychiatric organizations in reviewing the country’s approach to active-attack preparedness.
DEPED HAS ALREADY POSTPONED THE AUGUST 25 DRILL
The issue took another turn on Monday when DepEd announced that its Nationwide Simultaneous School Safety Drill for Active Attack Incidents, originally scheduled for August 25, would be postponed.
DepEd said the immediate reason was inclement weather and the cancellation of face-to-face classes in several areas.
The department said the drill is now expected to take place during the first week of September 2026.
That distinction is important: the postponement was officially attributed to weather-related circumstances, while the calls from psychiatrists and pediatric specialists have prompted a parallel discussion about whether and how the exercise should be conducted.
DEPED’S ORIGINAL PLAN
DepEd had previously ordered nationwide active-attack preparedness exercises for public and private schools.
The department’s guidelines emphasized that simulations should be age-appropriate and trauma-informed, with the focus placed on preparedness, protective actions, coordinated response and recovery.
DepEd has argued that the initiative is intended to establish automatic emergency protocols and improve the ability of schools to respond if a serious threat occurs.
Earlier in July, DepEd had already begun rolling out active-threat simulation activities in public schools as part of a broader effort to strengthen school security following incidents of campus violence.
POLICE SAY THEY ARE OPEN TO CONSULTATION
The Philippine National Police has also signaled that it is willing to participate in consultations involving the proposed drills.
PNP public information chief Col. Allen Rae Co said the police organization was prepared to engage with concerned agencies and groups regarding the psychiatric organizations’ concerns.
That could become increasingly important as officials attempt to strike a balance between realistic emergency preparedness and protecting students from unnecessary psychological harm.
THE DEBATE IS NOT UNIQUE TO THE PHILIPPINES
The question of whether realistic school-shooting drills help or harm students has also become a subject of research internationally.
A 2025 consensus study by the U.S. National Academies examined the mental, emotional and behavioral-health implications of active-shooter drills and noted that the potential impact on students and educators has received limited attention.
Meanwhile, research and advocacy organizations have documented concerns about stress and other psychological effects following highly realistic drills.
But the international experience also shows why the issue remains complicated.
In Thailand, schools recently began conducting active-shooter response exercises following a deadly school shooting. Reuters reported that some schools used “run, hide, fight” scenarios and other security measures as authorities sought to improve preparedness after the attack.
The contrasting approaches highlight the central question now confronting Philippine education officials:
How can schools prepare children for a genuine emergency without making the preparation itself psychologically harmful?
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
For now, the nationwide Philippine exercise has been moved from August 25 to the first week of September.
But the controversy is unlikely to end with the postponement.
Mental health experts want any future exercise to be trauma-informed and evidence-based. Pediatric specialists are calling for greater scrutiny of exercises involving children. Police and education officials, meanwhile, still face the practical responsibility of ensuring schools have workable procedures if an armed attack or other violent emergency actually occurs.
The challenge for DepEd is therefore not simply whether schools should practice emergency responses.
It is how those responses can be taught effectively—without turning a safety exercise into another source of fear for the children it is supposed to protect.
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