TODAY’S teachers are vulnerable to the harsh verdict of kangaroo courts in a wrong application of law speaking of classroom discipline.
In a not so popular noontime TV show of my idol Raffy Tulfo, a woman came to air her complaint against a grade 2 teacher of her grandson. The boy was sent out from the classroom as a punitive action for failure to return the report card to his teacher.
The grandma’s anger was hand-fanned by no less than the statement of the supposed witness and the CCTV footage that prompted her to quetch the issue to idol Raffy. At the set, Tulfo did not only use a figurative hand fan to fire the furnace but an electric fan to fuel into flame saying “dito ka namin yayariin” referring to the R.A. 7610 for alleged child abuse.
Two kernels were visible during the interview that perhaps influenced the tide of the show: First, the complainant wore a black campaign shirt of the ACT-CIS party list endorsed by Tulfo brothers last election period. Second, Tulfo acting like a hero crossed beyond the border of his rule being a media man –to be a medium for peace.
Well, admittedly I do not know much about Raffy Tulfo but I believe his uncle, an ally, and a practicing lawyer in Davao city who said Tulfo came from Davao Oriental. If my source is right, then he must be telling me a very vital stuff that Raffy’s father was a constabulary officer that imposed truehearted and authoritarian discipline both in his troop and at home; not to describe further on who is Raffy today.
What bothers me most was when he admitted during his program that he used to be the subject of his teacher’s refinement and often punished. Perhaps, this is the very reason why he has misgivings to the teachers, and so easy for him to threaten the teacher over the airwaves to revoke her license.
Without naming the teacher, I admired her patience. Tulfo must know that sending the learner out of the classroom is the kindest punitive action a teacher can do being hogtied with the laws protecting the welfare of the indiscipline children. The teacher did not demonstrate a criminal mind when she sent the learner out from the classroom, why charge her criminally and punished in Tulfo’s Kangaroo Court? The good thing however, he rectified the errors days later.
The parents on the other hand, have a shortage of discipline at home and lack concern to a school-aged son. Had they been truly concern of their child, they could have checked the gears and get-ups of their son, including the assigned and consigned. These parents are ignorant. They should have gone to DepEd hierarchy being the proper forum to resolve the issue than to bring the stuff to a humbug TV personality who may have forgotten his limitation.
We hope the incident will be an eye opener to all stakeholders that now is the high time to pass into law the House Bill 5735 or the Student Discipline and Teacher Protection Act. If this becomes a law, the teachers and school personnel will be protected from unwarranted, baseless and malicious charges concerning to discipline and classroom management.