House panel approves teacher protection bill

THE House committee on basic education and culture has approved a measure that aims to protect public school teachers against child abuse allegations.

House Bill 58 or the “Teacher Protection Act of 2016,” authored by ACTTeachers Representatives Antonio Tinio and France Castro seeks to amend Republic Act (RA) 7610 or the “Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act.”

In a statement, Tinio said that “while child protection is indispensable, teacher protection is also a must.”

The bill states that any act committed by a teacher or a teaching personnel pursuant to disciplinary rules and procedure issued by the Department of Education (DepEd) would not be deemed as child abuse, cruelty, or exploitation as defined in RA 7610.

The proposed measure likewise seeks to provide for the institutional support mechanisms for teachers and school personnel on classroom management and discipline, including, the legal assistance for school teachers and school staff and the training on classroom management and child discipline.

HB 58 mandates the creation of clearly defined regulations on appropriate student behavior towards other students, teachers, and school staff during classes, and within and outside school premises. It also instructs the DepEd to formulate a student manual to be implemented in all schools under its jurisdiction.