REINA MERCEDES, Isabela — Disgruntled parents have urged officials of the Department of Education to investigate a teacher recently caught spanking and tongue-lashing her students in a Boy Scouts jamboree at the Cutog Grande Elementary School in this town.
Jocelyn Barasi, one of the parents, said Madeline Reyes-Tambasacan must be punished for her actions as corporal punishment and bullying are prohibited in schools.
“We are pleading to the division office superintendent and other officials. Act now as our children were traumatized,” she told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Wednesday.
The teacher and the school principal, Mario Agacer, refused to talk to reporters when sought for comment and action on the matter.
The “spanking” video was uploaded over Facebook and was shared about 800 times.
Another mother, Elsa de Luna, 51, said her son was one of those allegedly hit by the teacher.
The town’s social welfare office has been informed by the parents and they would soon meet the students for stress debriefing.
“The best thing that we will do is to assist the children with stress debriefing activities to lessen the trauma and to guide them,” social welfare officer, Sherryl Respicio, said.
While Tambacasan is “generally kind,” she has lately been irritable and “always angry,” apparently due to her pregnancy, said 44-year-old Cutog Grande village councilor Virginia Aguilar. (/PNA)
