VP Sara orders no penalties vs. scolding teacher

Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte on Thursday said she ordered not to penalize the public school teacher who went viral on social media after berating her students live on TikTok.

In an ambush interview in Cambodia, Duterte said she saw the explanation of the teacher and just advised her to pause from teaching whenever she gets angry.

“Sinabihan ko ang regional office natin na there will be no penalties for the teacher. Just to remind the teacher that if she is angry, she has to pause. Itigil muna ‘yung klase and when she’s not angry anymore, saka siya magklase ulit,” she said.

(I told our regional office that there will be no penalties for the teacher. They just have to remind the teacher that if she is angry, she has to pause. She has to stop the class for a while and when she’s not angry anymore, she can resume the class.)

The Department of Education (DepEd) on Monday issued a show cause order against the teacher after her scolding video went viral. The agency’s National Capital Region office gave her 72 hours to submit an explanation on the matter.

Duterte, for her part, said that all people, even teachers, get angry. She also said that the teacher told her that she didn’t know that she was online when the video was taken. 

“Ang una kong naging reaction is tao lang ‘yung teacher. Lahat tayo umaabot sa punto na nagagalit tayo lalo na kapag nafu-fustrate tayo. This is especially true sa mga teachers, dahil ang mga teachers natin hindi lang isang tao ang kausap nila. Ang isang klase ay merong from 25 to 45, sometimes 55, students,” the DepEd chief said.

(My first reaction was that the teacher is only human. We all reach a point where we get angry especially when we become frustrated. This is especially true for teachers, because they do not just talk to one person. A class has students ranging from 25 to 45, sometimes 55.)

DepEd’s child protection policy states that ”any act by deeds or words that debases, degrades, or demeans the intrinsic worth and dignity of a child as a human being” is considered child abuse.

The agency also said that a teacher cannot go live on social media platforms based on DepEd Order Number 49 or the Professionalism in the Implementation and Delivery of Basic Education Programs and Services.—RF, GMA Integrated News