Senate bill protecting teachers, instituting support mechanism on student discipline filed

A bill seeking to protect teachers and school personnel and  institutionalize support mechanisms on student discipline  and classroom management has been filed in the Senate.

In filing Senate Bill 1189 or Teacher Protection Act, Senator Grace Poe wants to amend Republic Act 7610 or Child Abuse Law so that any act committed by a teacher or school personnel complying with the multi-stakeholder teacher's manual shall not be deemed as child abuse.

"To complement this, legal assistance is provided to teachers and personnel in cases related to student discipline and classroom management," she added in the explanatory note of the bill.

Under the bill, the Department of Education should issue a teacher's manual on student discipline and classroom management including permissible, appropriate, and effective responses and interventions that will address violations of school rules and regulations.

"This manual shall set out, among others the disciplinary action to be taken against students who are found to have made malicious accusations of child abuse against teacher and school staff," it said.

It added the DepEd shall provide mechanisms necessary to capacitate teachers and other personnel on matters regarding child behavior and psychology, classroom management techniques, positive discipline, and other related fields.

The bill further stated that no person, whether public or private and whether a party to the case or otherwise shall publicize a case during the pendency of the disciplinary proceedings.

"In no case shall the identify of complainants and respondents, or any information that may reasonably identify them, be disclosed to the public during the pendency of the proceedings. Violation of this section shall subject the person to the appropriate administrative, civil, criminal, and other liabilities," it said.

The DepEd shall also issue its guidelines for the media on how to handle cases in connection with the Act, the bill stated. — Amita Legaspi/RSJ, GMA News