Following the viral video of a teacher in Kalinga provincehitting her students for failing to answer correctly Math problems, the Department of Education-Cordillera has urged school heads to get to know their teachers.
DepEd-Cordillera Director Estela Cariño, in a recent press conference in Benguet, said school heads including principals must learn to be considerate of their teachers.
“As a teacher myself, I understand some of the things that happen in the classroom, where we sometimes lose control. But after gaining our sanity, we are sorry for what we did. Pero nangyari na iyon,” Cariño said.
While the DepEd understands the situation of a female teacher in the viral video, Cariño said the child-protection policy must still be implemented.
Cariño has instructed various schools division superintendents to remind their school heads to know the profile of their teachers and to give due consideration to them.
She claimed the incident inside a classroom in Tinglayan town happened last April and it was resolved among parties through customary dispute settlement.
But the viral video surfaced around August prompting the DepEd central office to notice the incident.
On Sept. 12, the DepEd-CAR gave a 90-day suspension to the teacher, who was also charged for grave misconduct. The teacher has already replied to the charge against her.
Counselors from DepEd-Cordillera have provided the needed intervention to the teacher while DepEd-Kalinga gave intervention to the learners and their parents.
DepEd-Cordillera is still waiting for the result of the investigation conducted by a committee from the Kalinga Schools Division Office.
DepEd-Kalinga Superintendent Amador Garcia said each school in the province has its own Child Protection Committee to report cases of abuse on learners whether involving teaching or non-teaching staff or individuals. Creation of the said committee is pursuant to DepEd Order 40 s. 2012, or “The School Contextualized Child Protection Policy” which aims to provide special protection to children who are gravely threatened or endangered by circumstances which affect their normal development and over which they have no control, and assist the concerned agencies in their rehabilitation. – Ofelia C. Empian
