OPINION

Teach discipline, not fear

BY MARVIN CABALHIN | NOVEMBER 8, 2023

It’s been three months since the school year 2023-2024 began, one year after the adjustment of transitioning from online modality to limited face-to-face classes. With this, the fear of experiencing unjust disciplinary practices rises again as students enter another year at the institutions they consider their second home. Teachers, together with parents, bear the responsibility of shaping students' minds with knowledge while fostering a positive learning environment. For this to happen, the Department of Education (DepEd) must prevent violence inside classrooms disguised as disciplinary actions.

According to a report by Manila Bulletin in November 2022, an estimated 1,800 cases of abuse against children were reported to DepEd since 2019 alone. The large number of cases only caters to selected unspecified regions in the country; hence, this is a concerning situation that the agency cannot manage solely with its own careless actions as it might potentially result in an escalation of these figures by year-end, further contributing to the statistics on abuse.

One case of these abuses was that of Jay Francis Gumikib, a grade five student at Peñafrancia Elementary School in Antipolo, Rizal, who died just this October 2. The Philippine National Police (PNP) Forensic Group's report indicated that the student's death was due to intracerebral hemorrhage caused by a ruptured artery (bleeding within the brain) and cerebral edema (swelling of the brain). After the investigation of the PNP Forensic Group, he was buried in the same city, 13 days after his death.

In a viral video reported by GMA Integrated News in September last year, an elementary teacher also struck her grade five student in Tinglayan, Kalinga during a math problem-solving session. The teacher argued that the strike was motivated by the grade five student not being able to solve a math problem. She was found guilty of committing grave misconduct and was suspended for 90 days in her post as an educator.

Just four days following that incident, a new video emerged, which quickly became viral, after a high school teacher kicked a student's leg as they stood in a hallway in Cagayan De Oro City. The teacher argued that she was the main victim in the scenario instead of the abused high schooler. Despite the abuse, the teacher was not suspended as the student's parents did not pursue any complaints.

In August 2022, a case of verbal abuse was also reported in Camarines Norte wherein another teacher insulted a grade five student for being the only learner left in the classroom. It went viral on the internet where her aunt expressed her disappointment in the teacher.

These scenarios would be typical for Generation X, Y, and Boomers during their experiences in elementary to high school years. They would often commend their teachers' physical punishments as an effective method of instilling discipline rather than oppose its abusive tendencies.

With these incidents, whether caught-on-camera or not, DepEd, as the highest executive agency for the country's basic education, should intensify retraining their teachers towards basic welfare of students inside classrooms. The agency must ensure that educators adhere to their existing policies such as the DepEd Order No. 40 Series of 2012, also known as DepEd Child Protection Policy, which promotes a zero-tolerance policy for any act of child abuse, exploitation, violence, discrimination, bullying, and other forms of abuse in the sector.

In today's education system, these policies are not prioritized. The agency focuses more on anti-student agendas that do not highlight school safety, security, and quality education for its learners.

In the recent celebration of National Teachers’ Day, Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte commented on Gumikib's case bearing the words, “... whatever you do will affect the life of that child [...] make sure that your footprint is something positive in the life of the child.”

This is somewhat ironic coming from a public servant who does not practice education as a profession and has a history of violence with a Davao City court sheriff in 2011 after declining her appeal for a demolition operation.

A DepEd's training guide, in partnership with E-Net Philippines and Save the Children, "Positive Discipline in Everyday Teaching Primer," highlights eight positive disciplines a Filipino teacher should possess. These are aimed at building a mutually-respectful relationship with the students, teaching courtesy, non-violence, empathy, self-respect, respect for others and their rights, and increasing students’ competence and confidence to handle academic challenges and other difficult situations.

Such existing principles should be embodied by the current teachers of the department, so they can properly instill discipline in the classroom. Alarmingly, teachers seem to no longer be familiar with this “positive discipline,” which leads to incidents of physical harm.

DepEd, as a regulating arm, should be sterner and conduct immediate action to stop these incidents as they are also accountable for the lives of every student who will fall victim.

Today, the second home students once knew is now filled with fear and terror. It's no longer safe and the same, so it can't be called a home anymore. No home harms its children and no children must be harmed from anything they consider as home.