Positive Discipline Bill is unnecessary, says teachers’ group

Enforcing a positive discipline approach on children below 17 years old is good but having a law about it is “unncessary,” a group of teachers said on Monday.

Teachers’ Dignity Coalition said that the bill, which was recently passed in its third and final reading, was useless since grave punishment for children is already prohibited in the country.

The group was referring to Senate Bill No. 1477, also known as an Act Promoting Positive and Non-Violent Discipline of Children, which was sponsored by Senators Grace Poe, Nancy Binay, Risa Hontiveros, and Leila de Lima.

READ: Senate OKs bill prohibiting corporal punishment for minors

“Corporal punishment is not allowed in our schools. Thus, we do not need a law to prohibit the already prohibited,” the group said in a statement.

According to the group, there are already several laws and policies in the country regarding child protection.

However, the group said these regulations were also used against teachers to “harass, threaten and intimidate the helpless teachers or extort money from them.”

“While we appreciate the principles of positive discipline and in fact cooperate with the DepEd and the private sector for its promotion, we believe that creating another law is too much and may further put our teachers in a disadvantaged position,” the group said.

With this, the group urged the to have a law that would also protect teachers.

“In fact, given the present complicated condition, teachers who are often misunderstood and sensationalized for imposing ‘discipline’ also need the protection of the law. We must, at all times be sure that the rights and welfare of teachers are protected in the same weight as we protect the children,” it said. /je