House panel OKs proposed Teacher Protection Act

The House Committee on Basic Education and Culture has approved a measure which seeks to establish support mechanisms for public school teachers and school personnel as regards student discipline and classroom management.

The panel approved House Bill 58 or the proposed "Teacher Protection Act," principally authored by ACT Teachers party-list Representative Antonio Tinio, which also aims to provide for the protection of teachers and other school personnel against cases related to student discipline.

In filing the bill, Tinio noted that school personnel, especially teachers, are the first to deliver education services to students everyday.

However, he said this heavy burden is aggravated by the lack of institutional support and the permissible and effective methods of instilling discipline to students, guidance counselors, and legal assistance and representation.

“While child protection is indispensable, teacher protection is also a must. To this end, my bill seeks to amend RA 7610, commonly known as the Child Abuse Law, insofar as any act committed by a teacher or school staff pursuant to the disciplinary rules and procedures issued by the DepEd shall not be deemed as child abuse,” Tinio said.

Under the measure, the Department of Education (DepEd) is tasked to issue policies and principles on student discipline and classroom management, governing all division-level student manuals.

A student manual, as defined in the measure, is a written document which details the school's rules and regulations that students should observe while inside the campus or outside it, in cases where conduct may interfere with the school's operation or endanger the safety of other students and school personnel.

The manual also details the rights and responsibilities of students related to school rules and regulations, and describes the disciplinary procedure and designation of authorities who can investigate, propose and apply the responses and intervention.

The document also lists down the permissible, appropriate and effective responses and interventions to address violation of school rules and regulations, which include communication to parents, counseling, reprimand, and detention, at each level and repetition of offense, which will be administered by teachers, the school head, and other school staff.

Any act committed by a teacher or school staff with respect to the disciplinary rules and procedures the DepEd issue will not be considered as child abuse, cruelty, or exploitation as defined in RA 7610 or the “Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discriminatory Act.”

The bill also provides for consultation of involved sectors in the following acts:

• drafting of the student manual;
• information dissemination of the student manual;
• training of teachers and personnel on the school manual;
• professional development relating to student discipline and classroom management;
• other support mechanisms for student discipline and classroom management;
• protection to teachers and school personnel in charges related to student discipline and classroom management;
• and confidentiality of complainants, respondents, or any information that may reasonably identify them and disclose to the public during pendency of the proceedings.

—KG, GMA News