TINIAN – Commissioner of Education Dr. Lawrence F. Camacho and Board of Education Chairman Aschumar Kodep Ogumuro-Uludong led the signing ceremony for the 2025–2026 Bullying Prevention Month and Safe Schools Week proclamation at Tinian Middle and High School last Friday.
The event brought together students, educators, and community partners in a shared call to maintain safe, respectful, and caring learning spaces across the CNMI’s public schools.
Commissioner Dr. Camacho reminded students that their safety is central to the Public School System’s mission. He emphasized that preventing bullying requires everyone — students, parents, teachers, and administrators — to speak up and hold one another accountable.
Chairman Ogumuro-Uludong noted that while bullying affects one in five students nationwide, CNMI schools report near-zero incidents, crediting collaboration among agencies and schools. He pointed to a student awareness video and other joint efforts as examples of the system’s commitment to vigilance and prevention.
The proclamation was read in English, Chamorro, and Carolinian by Alicia Wen Teope, Joseph Kiyoshi, and Aunika Lizama. School leaders from Tinian Middle and High School, along with Tinian Elementary School, joined in the observance.
Former Tinian Youth Congress Senator Jireh Cruz urged students to carry the lessons of the week into their daily lives, reminding them that bullying can occur in small, everyday moments and encouraging acts of kindness and courage.
PREP State Coordinator Elfriede D. Suda closed with a call to see the proclamation as a promise to protect one another and keep CNMI schools safe and caring.
While U.S. Department of Education data shows more than 20% of students across the nation report being bullied each year, CNMI schools continue to stand apart with near-zero reported incidents. Education leaders said that record is a result of strong community values, close partnerships, and proactive action across the islands.
