Last week, a public high school principal in Antique faced widespread online criticism after a viral video showed her angrily scolding students on their graduation day. She was upset that many students had arrived wearing togas. Before the ceremony began, the principal took the microphone and asked the students to remove their graduation robes, insisting that all they should be wearing are just their uniforms and sablay. However, her remarks quickly escalated into a furious lecture, even threatening to call the police because the students had “violated the law” for wearing a toga.
For context, the Department of Education (DepEd) has clarified that while school uniform, casual, or formal wear remains the recommended attire for both graduation and moving-up ceremonies, a toga or sablay may still be worn as an additional garb. Several students and parents later shared their version of events, saying the school’s Parent-Teacher Association had convened a meeting where most parents voted to wear a toga and even volunteered to sponsor students who could not afford one. Despite the consensus, the principal reportedly insisted on a different attire, which may have led to confusion and miscommunication.
The school head justified her actions by claiming that she just wanted to teach the students a lesson in respect and obedience to authority. But the manner in which she delivered her message seemed deeply inconsistent with the very values she claimed to uphold.
First, public shaming is not discipline. It is a form of control that uses fear and humiliation. While it may result in temporary compliance from students, it does not build their character or teach them any values. A leader earns respect by showing fairness, consistency, and empathy. When the principal shamed the students before their peers and parents, she wasn’t teaching them about respect; she was inadvertently teaching them that authority figures are exempt from practicing the respect they demand.
Second, we all make mistakes despite our best efforts. As educators, part of our responsibility is to turn our students’ mistakes into teaching moments. We need to guide children toward positive behavior through respectful correction and compassionate guidance. It is important to let them know that they were wrong and that their actions have consequences. Dwelling on the mistake in a way that erodes their self-esteem is unnecessary, ineffective, and potentially harmful to their well-being. When a child receives overly harsh comments from someone in authority or whose opinion they value, the negative feedback could become ingrained and permanent.
DepEd Antique has since stated that it formed an investigation team to look into the incident. Several teachers, however, posted anonymously in online forums, to share their doubt that any meaningful action would be taken since the principal allegedly had many “connections” in the regional office. They cited how the school community had raised serious concerns against the principal in the past. In 2023, parents and students staged public rallies and even appeared on a public service program to seek help from local officials. According to the parents, students, and teachers who were part of the petition, the principal was a “bully” who caused significant mental distress among the learners. The school allegedly lost around 500 students that year because many children ended up transferring or just stopped going to school altogether, supposedly due to the emotional toll from their experience.
This highlights a broader issue: When conduct-related concerns are raised against school authority figures, how often are they held meaningfully accountable? While DepED’s standard response is to have a formal investigation to ensure due process, there must also be clear and transparent mechanisms to allow the school community to monitor its results and assess whether appropriate measures were carried out.
There is also a growing public perception that problematic school heads are too often just reassigned to another location. This band-aid solution just successfully manages public outrage without genuinely addressing the root problem. A more effective and constructive approach should involve restorative justice frameworks, community dialogue, and targeted retraining of the principal based on the underlying issue (e.g., positive discipline, emotional intelligence, or values-based leadership).
Lastly, when a principal commits a mistake in a way that significantly harms students, accountability should include meaningful efforts at schoolwide restitution. In these cases, addressing the community to publicly acknowledge and apologize for one’s mistakes can be a powerful act of modeling responsibility. This helps rebuild trust by reaffirming that schools are places of both learning and integrity for everyone, including those in charge.
If we hope to raise virtuous and compassionate young citizens with strong critical thinking skills and a deep commitment to civic participation, we must train our educators to model those same values. More importantly, we must ensure that they will uphold the right of every child to be treated with respect and dignity—even when students disobey a rule.
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