A group of teachers on Saturday denounced the “teacher-shaming” and called on the Department of Education (DepEd) to necessary steps to “protect and defend” teachers as well.
As it welcomes the DepEd’s investigation on the incident involving a Manila public school teacher which was embarrassed on a live TV, the Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) proposes several measures that will help end “teacher-shaming.”
For TDC National Chairperson Benjo Basas, the case of the public school teachers who was humiliated on a live television phone patch – as well as other related incidents “should be taken seriously” by the DepEd. The group also called on Secretary Leonor Briones to “make necessary steps to protect and defend our teachers as well.”
TDC noted that the said incident – which has become viral for several days now – is the cause of a “spontaneous and unanimous fury”of public school teachers with netizens on their side.
Teacher-shaming incident
In an episode entitled “Mommy, Ipina-Tulfo ang Pasaway na Teacher ng Kanyang Anak!” aired last Monday, November 18, host Raffy Tulfo acted on a complaint of a grandmother against the teacher of her grandchild for allegedly “shaming and hurting” a pupil.
The child’s parents also appeared on the show where they repeatedly asked for justice thru the revocation of the teacher’s license to teach. The host, agreed with the parents and even said that the child may suffer trauma. He then called the teacher and made a live phone patch conversation.
At the end of the interview, the host gave the teacher the options – either she voluntarily give up her job and license to teach or face the consequence of prison term because of child abuse. “The poor teacher, readily agreed,” TDC said.
On Friday, Tulfo also made “apologetic” remark regarding the incident and said that he will no longer pursue the case and will just facilitate the settlement of both parties. Citing sources from the teacher’s school in Manila, TDC said that the concerned teacher and the child’s mother “have already settled their dispute after a meeting with some DepEd-Manila officials.”
Not the end
For TDC, this may be the “end of the story” for the mother and the teacher but not for some since the incident is not an isolated case. “In many circumstances, teachers accused of violation of children’s rights have been subjected to harassment, intimidation, extortion, physical threat and some kind of media sensationalization,” Basas said.
Teachers, Basas noted, are “often left in a disadvantaged position whenever a case is filed against them.” He added that legal assistance – especially those of private lawyers is not readily available for teachers. “In some cases, teachers are forced to enter into unfair settlement or worse, resign or face the court battle,” he noted. (Merlina Hernando-Malipot)
