Terror Teachers

“Terror Teachers”
Author: Ted Failon
Source: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/current-affairs-programs/08/05/11/failon-ngayon-terror-teachers
Date of Publication: 08/06/2011 1:40 A.M.

When children begin to go to school at ages as early as 4 years old, the parents entrust the teachers to care for them and teach them what is right from wrong. This way, the teachers are viewed as the second parents to the children that they teach.

The teachers’ role as second parents is to educate children not only in subjects like English or mathematics, but also educate them in all aspects of life such as proper courtesy and manners. While teachers have the right to reprimand their students, it’s almost considered a sin for a teacher to lay their hands on their students, as well as verbally attack them.

Unfortunately, not all teachers share this frame of mind.

In Agno Elementary School, Pangasinan, 10 students filed a complaint against their teacher for whipping the back of their legs with a bamboo switch.

According to the students, teacher Gloria Juanitez Callejo decided to give her class a surprise test with the right minus wrong stipulation. Aside from that, she also decided to penalize the students by whipping the back of their legs with a bamboo switch for every wrong answer that they got. Of the 44 students given the surprise test, only six of them passed the exam, which enraged Teacher Callejo.

Teacher Callejo had the students lined up and whipped the students one by one and whipped them hard. Some of the students received up to 15 strikes from the bamboo switch. Because the strikes from the bamboo switch, most of the students had marks and welts on their calves. The whipping went on for about an hour and she even threatened the students and their parents’ lives.

Because of the trauma that they endured, most of the students refused to go to school during the following days. The 10 students and their parents of filed the complaints plan to pursue the case so that justice may be served.

Summary:
A teacher in Pangasinan inflicted bodily harm to her students who were not able to come up with her expectations that is to answer the given test items thus, she is in hot water. This led to a trauma into her students and caused them to refuse to go to school during the following days.

Insight:
I am dumbfounded with the rampant scenarios where in we, the students, were physically, verbally and even worst, sexually abused by some of our teachers. Some teachers, who were supposed to be molding and educating us in all aspects of life, are the ones who take advantage of their helpless students.

Corporal punishments are no longer accepted or practiced in school these days so whenever possible teachers should find ways and means to help the students learn but not punishing them like what Mrs. Callejo did to her students. Perhaps the best way to help the students to learn more is to give them assignments, more exercises, practice drills and the like.
When worse comes to worst however, the victims and the parents can turn to the R.A. 7610 or the Anti-Child Abuse law which states that aside from being an administrative case, any form of abuse towards children is also a criminal offense, something that abusive teachers should know. Hence, students like us will now feel safe. More children won’t be afraid to go to school anymore.