Monday, August 13, 2007

Teachers go on mass leave over slapping incident

Tabuk City, Kalinga – The teachers and non-teaching personnel of the Agbannawag National High School (ANHS), Agbannawag, this city, filed their mass leave of absence effective August 2 and 3 in protest of a slapping incident involving their guidance counselor and also alleged threats made against them.

In their position paper addressed to the schools division superintendent of the province, the 18 personnel of the ANHS alleged that head teacher and guidance counselor Leticia Magayam was slapped on the face by a parent resulting in a black contusion.

They did not say what enraged the parent.

They also alleged that in reaction to a disciplinary action taken against them, two students belonging to the Butbut tribe have resorted to threatening the school head and some teachers, stoning the school building and other activities which disturb teachers and other students.

The personnel urged the police and the elders and professionals belonging to the Butbut tribe to immediately discipline the two students and to stop them from disturbing the school.

They also said that in place of the two days mass leave, they will hold classes on two Saturdays “for the sake of our students wanting to learn and parents submitting their children to learn.”

In a letter to the Radyo ng Bayan, Kalinga Secondary School Personnel Association, Inc. president David Torres called also on the parents and barangay officials to intervene in the case. **Estanislao Albano, Jr.