SENATOR Leila de Lima filed a measure that seeks to protect teachers and other school personnel against false and malicious accusations which could destroy their reputation.

De Lima filed Senate Bill 2477 that would institutionalize support mechanisms for public school teachers and school personnel who drew flak while imposing student discipline and mechanisms for classroom management.

“With the advent of technology and social media, teachers, along with other school personnel, have become vulnerable to attacks and malicious and false accusations,” De Lima said.

“While the protection of children must always be upheld, the scales of justice also dictate that teachers and school personnel must be clothed with the same mantle of protection,” she added.

De Lima, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development, said SB 2477 aims to prevent incidents where teachers are punished or forced to quit their job and standing in the community without the benefit of due process.

“We can no longer allow our teachers to be subjected to similar attacks that threaten their role in raising the youth of this nation,” she said.

Under SB 2477, or the proposed Classroom Management Support and Protection for Teachers Act, the Department of Education will formulate guidelines for classroom management for teachers and school personnel.

The guidelines should include rules and regulations to be observed, the rights and responsibilities of teaching and non-teaching personnel, as well as permissible, appropriate and effective responses and interventions that will address violations of school rules and regulations to be administered by teachers and other school staff.

The DepEd is also mandated to provide teachers the appropriate pre-service and in-service training on child behavior and psychology, classroom management techniques, positive discipline and other related fields.