A bill providing protection for teachers being bullied by their students is drawing strong support from educators and lawmakers.
Five bills proposing to shield teachers from liability arising from their imposition of disciplinary measures on schoolchildren was assigned last Monday to a technical working group created by the House Committee on Basic Education and Culture chaired by Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo.
Principal authors include Reps. Jocelyn F. Fortuno (NPC, Camarines Sur); Florencio Noel (Ang Waray partylist); France Castro (ACT Teachers partylist), and Eric L. Olivarez (NP, Paranaque City).
The necessity of providing teachers ample legal protection from being subjected to intimidation, pressure, and threats for disciplining schoolchildren came to national consciousness when a public school teacher was forced to resign after being publicly assailed in a television public service program hosted by broadcaster Raffy Tulfo.
Tulfo chided the teacher after a grandmother complained to him that her grandson was asked by the teacher to step out of the classroom for failing to return his report card on time.
The popular broadcast commentator allegedly pressured the teacher to quit her job for “traumatizing” the student.
Fortuno said teachers are oftentimes being threatened with child abuse charges under Republic Act No. 7610 for trying to impose disciplinary measures on students.
Fortuno said her bill seeks to “shield the teachers from any liability arising from imposing discipline upon school children.”
“In order to make the policy clear and unambiguous, this measure mandates the Department of Education to issue guidelines on teacher protection and emphasize the rights and responsibilities of teachers with respect to student discipline and classroom management,” the Camarines Sur solon stressed.
Fortuno added: “The crystal clear objective is to assist teachers in disciplining their students without violating child protection laws.”
Castro explained that while child protection is “indispensable, teacher protection is also a must.”
The various bills filed contain provisions extending to teachers and school personnel legal assistance and representation by counsel should they be subjected to court charges for imposing discipline among students and in pursuing what they deem as correct classroom management.
Almost common among the bills filed is a provision that directs the DepEd to release guidelines for disciplinary rules and procedures in the classroom. This will protect teachers and other school personnel from being charged with child abuse under RA 7610.
DepEd officials present during the virtual committee hearing aired full support to the confidentiality clause that prohibits the publication or public reporting of proceedings on cases filed against teachers by students or their parents pending litigation.