01/08/2026
๐๐ข๐๐จ๐ ๐ก | Erosion of respect where it is built
A classroom should be one of the safest places in society. It is where children learn not just to read and write, but also the values that prepare them for life outside of school. However, on July 27 in Maco, Davao de Oro, that safety and purpose were shattered. Two Grade 10 students allegedly attacked a teacher after he reminded one of them about the school's rule on wearing earrings. What started as a routine disciplinary action quickly escalated into violence. It is easy to dismiss this as an isolated incident with just a few individuals involved. Yet, it could be indicative of a larger issue. It might reflect a culture where students view correction as oppression and where respect is slowly fading in the very place meant for its growth.
Schools have never existed just to pass knowledge from one person to another. They are intended to shape character. Rules about uniforms, punctuality, hairstyles, or accessories may seem trivial to some, and it is valid to question whether certain policies are still relevant today. Healthy discussions about school rules are welcome in any learning environment. However, violence should never be part of that dialogue. When a student thinks that a raised fist is a more effective argument than respectful conversation, education begins to lose one of its vital purposes.
This problem did not begin in that gym in Davao de Oro. Children do not wake up one day believing that violence is an acceptable way to respond to correction. They absorb what they see around them. They observe adults arguing without listening. They scroll through social media, where insults often receive more attention than understanding. They grow up in a world where being corrected is sometimes seen as humiliation rather than guidance. Schools can teach values for eight hours a day, but society teaches them for the remaining sixteen. People often say, "Respect is earned." While that is true, respect is also learned. The lessons children bring into the classroom often start long before their first day of school.
Now, some might say that teachers have also crossed professional lines by embarrassing students, misusing their authority, or using discipline as humiliation. Such actions deserve investigation and accountability, as no student should ever fear the very people meant to educate them. Respect cannot thrive in an environment where authority is used to intimidate. A classroom built on fear is just as damaging as one filled with chaos.
Still, recognizing that reality should not distract us from the issue at hand. As seen in the video, the teacher addressed the student for breaking the school's policyโa basic rule that students are expected to follow. In a Facebook post, Sir Acetong shared that the teacher in the video was on the second floor when he noticed a fight breaking out. He immediately stepped in to stop the altercation. In the crowd, he spotted a student wearing an earring. He questioned the student about it. In response, the student showed him the middle finger. Shocked and angered by the gesture, the teacher pursued him to confront him, which led to the attack. It was later revealed that they were brothers. The older brother, who had been standing behind, threw the first punch, while the younger brother was wearing the earring. The teacher ended up badly bruised.
According to his account, nothing about the situation suggests that violence was an acceptable reaction to a teacher enforcing a school rule. There is a clear difference between questioning authority and attacking it. One supports democracy and education; the other undermines both. If every correction is viewed as an insult and every disagreement is resolved with aggression, we teach young people that emotions are more important than responsibility. That lesson does not end at school. It follows them into their jobs, communities, and ultimately into society. The loss of respect today will impact the nation tomorrow.
Henry Adams once wrote, "A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops." But influence cannot grow where fear replaces respect. Teachers must stay compassionate and accountable, while students must continue to be heard and supported. Yet, they also need to realize that discipline is not oppression but guidance. If we let respect continue to fade in our classrooms, we risk losing more than orderly schools. We risk losing the environment where future citizens learn that character is built not by resisting every correction, but by having the humility to learn from it.
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By Bea Baguion
Layout by Regie Arenas
Photo: Gladys Viason De Leon/Facebook
