30/04/2025
Please be informed that Mother Goose Nursery - The Play and Learn School Quezon City/San Juan is not connected in any way to Mother Goose Special School System Inc. in Pangasinan. We do not have any grade school levels.
The (SC) has held a school civilly liable for negligence after a bullying incident led to the assault of a student during class.
In a Decision written by Associate Justice Mario V. Lopez, the SC’s Second Division found that Mother Goose Special School System, Inc. (Mother Goose School) failed to address a punching incident involving three grade school students inside one of its classrooms.
When the victim’s parents raised the matter with the school, their complaints were ignored, prompting them to file formal requests for investigation. Mother Goose School ultimately concluded the incident was mere "teasing" or "rough play" and took no disciplinary action.
Dissatisfied, the parents filed a complaint for damages against the school, the teachers, and the other students’ fathers.
Ordering Mother Goose School to pay the victim’s parents PHP 650,000 in damages and attorney’s fees, the SC agreed with the trial court and the Court of Appeals that Mother Goose School was grossly negligent in handling the punching incident.
The SC emphasized that schools have a contractual obligation to ensure a safe learning environment. It also reiterated that schools must maintain peace and order within their premises, and even outside campus during school activities. They may avoid liability only upon proof they exercised due diligence.
The SC found Mother Goose School negligent for its lack of proper protocols, failure to inform the victim’s parents promptly, and inaccuracies in its investigation.
Read the full text of the Press Release at https://tinyurl.com/m86ufzwa.
Read the full text of the Decision at https://tinyurl.com/mparp5dp.
Copying of this content is subject to the SC PIO’s Credit Attribution Policy: https://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/credit-attribution-policy/.
