DepEd investigates viral Facebook post on alleged teacher’s bullying

The Department of Education (DepEd) stated it is carefully investigating allegations of bullying by a teacher on the first day of face-to-face classes on Monday, which was the subject of a viral Facebook post.

DepEd spokesperson Michael Poa stated in a Viber message that the concerned regional information officer was “already aware” of the situation and that they were working with the person who posted the incident.

“We must first look at what occurred. To find out the truth, the SDO (Schools District Office) has already reached out to the post’s author. “They are already in touch and investigating into what actually happened,” he stated.

The author of the popular article, Jeannie Vargas, claimed that her niece was dissuaded from attending school.

The popular post featured a photo of the handwritten note of the purported dialogue between her Grade 5 niece and the instructor on the first day of in-person lessons, which has received almost 150,000 responses and nearly 70,000 shares.

The note includes phrases like “bruha, bobo, hayop” (witch, dumb, and animal), which her teacher is alleged to have said while her niece struggled to finish their writing assignment.

The full caption of the post reads.

“Posting this for awareness and as a reminder, especially to teachers and parents, dahil gigil ako talaga today dahil sa nangyari sa pamangkin ko

First day of school ng pamangkin ko ngayon, tapos ito yung nangyari agad sa kanya. Graduate din po ako sa elementary school kung saan sya ngayon, pero grabe, sobra naman tong teacher na to. Sobrang excited ng pamangkin ko pumasok dahil first day at first time ulit na face-to-face classes, tapos ito maexperience nya agad. Nakakalungkot, guys

Grade 5 lang pamangkin ko. Pagkagaling sa school, iyak ng iyak. Sa sobrang hindi maexplain nangyari sa school, sinulat na lang nya para lang masabi sa nanay nya anong mga sinabi sa kanya ng teacher nya.

At sobrang nakakalungkot at nakakasakit ng puso tong nababasa ko na sinulat nya

Pano mong nasasabi mga gantong bagay sa isang 10-year old sa pinakaunang araw ng pasukan nila? Kung hindi po masaya sa pagiging guro sa mga bata, hanap na lang po ng ibang career. Wag nyong idamay mga estudyante na sumusubok pa lang lumaban sa buhay.

Hindi ako yung nakaexperience pero ramdam ko yung trauma ng pamangkin ko ngayon. Hindi man pisikal, pero pinakamasakit yung maririnig mo yung mga ganitong salita sa tao na dapat nga nagtuturo sayo ng tamang asal sa labas. Yung ineexpect mo na bilang magulang, paglabas ng bahay, yung teacher yung katuwang mo sana humubog ng bata sa labas, tapos ito yung maririnig nila?

Haaay, please po, teachers, let’s do better.

Alam ko hindi lahat ganito. At saludo po tayo sa lahat ng guro na ginagampanan ng maayos ang trabaho nila. Pero, sa iba po, wag sanang ganito.

Sa US, tumataas ang rate ng mga batang nagssuicide as young as 10 years old dahil sa mga estudyante na bully sa school, tapos mababalitaan mo teacher mismo yung bully?

Hindi po dahil bata o dahil nasa public school, pwede nyo ng ibully ng ganyan. At sa mga parents naman, let’s check on our kids pagkagaling sa school. Minsan, baka tahimik lang pero sobra na palang pambubully ang nakukuha sa school. At lalong wag po tayong matakot to stand up for our kids. Pag nakikita nila na kaya natin silang ipaglaban sa mga taong mali, matututo rin silang ipaglaban mga sarili nila balang araw.

Ako, tita lang po ako ng batang to, but I’m also a mom, nasa isip ko, ilang bata pa ibubully nitong teacher na to? Antayin pa ba na may masira na bata mentally, and emotionally na mas malala bago may gawin sa mga ganitong klaseng teacher?

Hindi nyo po deserve ang lisensya na dapat sa ibang tao na mas may malasakit sa mga bata.

Take note, yung “bobo” daw ng sinabi sa kanya, pabulong. Masyadong personal. Napakatalino ng pamangkin ko, laging honor student sa mga dati nyang school, kaya kung para po sa proteksyon ng ibang bata pa na magiging studyante ninyo, gagawin po namin lahat para di na kayo maging teacher ng iba pa.

Kakaawa pamangkin ko ngayon, ayaw na pumasok sa sobrang takot sa teacher na to.”

Vargas insisted that she made it public to raise awareness on issues of bullying and how it may impair students’ mental health, especially at a young age. However, she made it clear that the post does not intend to disparage teachers in general or the institution her niece is presently enrolled in.