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(Update) Educators back bill vs corporal punishment among children


MANILA, Philippines - A House measure seeking to stop corporal punishment among children is gaining support. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) threw their support Monday for House bill 882. HB 882 says adults face punishment if they are proven to have slapped, kicked, burned, choked, beaten, pinched, whipped, twisted the ears of, threatened, terrorized, ridiculed, cursed, and belittled children for mere misbehavior or disobedience at home, in school, or in any other place. DSWD Secretary Esperanza Cabral said if adults can lodge complaints against physical abuse, children should likewise enjoy the right to be protected from physical and psychological abuses including humiliation, as being pushed by the measure. “We are supporting the bill na nagsasabing bawal ang corporal punishment para sa mga bata [corporal punishment is prohibited]… Mayroon naman tayong [We have] room for negotiation as far as what is allowed and what is not allowed as a measure to discipline the child," Cabral explained. “Kailangan ipaala sa kanya na mali iyon [We have to remind children of their mistakes] in more empathic ways after talking to him and giving him chance," she added. Cabral said her agency was consulted during the crafting of the bill, authored by Tarlac Rep. Monica Prieto-Teodoro. The measure has been approved in principle by the House committees on revision of laws and the welfare of children. Cabral said that meting punishments should not come as a first instinct for adults dealing with erring children. Parents and school authorities should, instead, focus on how to instill to children good values and rid them with bad habits. “Bago tayo mag-isip ng kaparusahan dapat ipaintindi natin sa kanya na mali ang gianagwa niya. Bigyan natin siya ng magandang example [Before thinking of punishing children, let us first think about how we can make them realize their mistakes. We (adults) should serve as good example]," Cabral said. Cabral said that other countries have penalized corporal punishment, especially those in Scandanavia, which are at the “forefront of children’s rights in Europe." Service manual In expressing his support for the bill, Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said that even before it was was crafted, the DepEd's service manual had been directing school officials not to inflict physical punishments on students. For his part, Antonio Tinio, chairperson of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers, also said his group supports the measure. He even cited studies showing that corporal punishment does not resolve the problem of misbehavior among children. While admitting that some teachers are guilty of handing down excessive punishments to students, Tinio said blame should not be put solely on educators, especially when each teacher deals with 50 to 80 students in a classroom. The bill requires the DSWD and other government organizations and parent-teacher-community associations to work together in coming up with a program to prevent corporal punishment from proliferating in homes and schools. Once made punishable by law, victims of corporal punishment – like regular young victims of crimes – can be placed under protective custody of the DSWD. The victims would also be entitled to medical, legal and counseling services. - Mark Merueñas, GMANews.TV
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