Bless the school and the children

I get goosebumps every time I hear or read reports about young people's lives getting wasted, especially if the death is untimely, tragic, heartbreaking, and happens in school, which is supposed to be their second home.

My heart goes to the parents of Francis Jay Gumikib, a 14-year-old Grade 5 student at Peñafrancia Elementary School in Antipolo, Rizal. The poor boy died 11 days after slipping into a coma at a hospital, reportedly after the teacher slapped him.

The death certificate showed the boy succumbed to global brain edema, with an antecedent cause of acute intraparenchymal hemorrhage or bleeding into the brain tissue. There were also findings of significant conditions contributing to his death — presumptive pulmonary tuberculosis and child physical abuse. While we all await the autopsy report by the Philippine National Police or PNP Forensic Group, which may be out this week, it would be best to clear the air about the school's responsibility to students.

Per Francis' classmates' account, the teacher pulled his hair and slapped him, hitting his ear while the class was unruly. Days later, the mother rushed the boy to the hospital after complaining of severe earache and vomiting. Did the single slap lead to a series of unfortunate events?

The teacher has been suspended pending the completion of an investigation by the police and the Commission on Human Rights, which stepped into the picture. According to one news report, the teacher denied slapping the boy that hard to cause injury to his brain, but still, she laid her hand on him.

Regardless of the impact, a slap is an assault on the child, just like when the teacher throws an eraser or chalk at students or makes them squat in one corner of the room as punishment.

Much as I would like to give the teacher the benefit of the doubt, Lady Justice is not blind even when blindfolded. Teachers must remember that no law allows them to punish or abuse our children physically and emotionally.

The incident is disturbing, as it is at the end of World Teachers' Day when we all celebrate and honor our teachers. They, too, have problems at work and home, so you can imagine the stress of handling more than 20 or 30 students in an unruly environment every hour and every working day.

However, being human should not be an excuse to breach the trust as we entrust our children to the school administration, security, and teachers for their learning and safety.

This kind of horror story is more prevalent in public than private schools. Is it because private school students are more aware of their rights since their parents belong to the middle and upper classes, and they can sue anytime you lay your hand on their children?

I could not imagine the grief of Francis' parents, and I extend my condolences to the family. There should be no room for physical, sexual, or verbal abuse of children and even adults at any time and anywhere.

Last month, the Bangkok Post reported that a Thai teacher was suspended for slapping a schoolboy because he refused to call her "mum," telling her he had only one mother. The school's security video, which went viral online, captured how the teacher grabbed the boy's wrist and led him through a passage. She then stopped to talk to the boy and pointed to his face before slapping it. The slap's impact took off his mask. She then shouted at the boy and hit him one more time. It was so hard that his face jerked to one side.

We Asians are known for close family ties, which makes me ponder: Is it an Asian thing to use physical force to discipline other children as if they are family members?

Research shows corporal punishment is the most widespread form of violence against children. While the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child ensures the right of a child to be safe from all forms of violence and punishment, regardless of their actions, students continue to suffer violence.

Germane to this subject is the issue of soldiers undergoing training on International Humanitarian Law before they are allowed on the battlefield and are subject to debriefing afterward. Why not do the same for our teachers? Could schools equip them with adequate knowledge and proper training on children's rights? Personal and professional problems should not get in the way of teaching; thus, every school must ensure a teacher's sound mind and body every school year.

Vice President Sara Duterte, the education secretary, was saddened by what happened to Francis and reminded teachers that hurting students is "haram" (Arabic for unforgiven) and that teachers should always leave positive footprints in a child's life.

As Jim Henson, the late American puppeteer and Disney Legend awardee, aptly stated: "Kids don't remember what you try to teach them. They remember what you are."

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