Report released by the Council of Trustees 15th April 2015

British School of Manila (BSM)

Sponsor: BSM Council of Trustees (COT)
The Independent Review Panel (IRP) members:
Mr. Edgar Chua (Serving as Chair)
Mr. Ulpiano Sarmiento (Member)
Ms. Rochelle Dakanay-Galano (Member)
Dr. William Parker (Member)
Dr. Steven DeKrey (Member)
Period of Review: 8th - 31st March 2015
REVIEW SCOPE
The IRP was convened to address and conduct two functions:
1.0 To review BSM processes and practices dealing with plagiarism for year
12/13 students and how these are applied.
2.0 To review BSM support structures in place for students during the course
of the IB diploma programme.
To conduct its work, the IRP reviewed BSM written documentation related to its
charge which included:

School Handbooks (Family, Student, and Teacher Handbooks) were

specifically reviewed in regard to:
o The Academic Honesty Policy, how it is communicated and enforced
o Pastoral care policy and support structures for students, and
o Expectations for faculty/staff in regard to enforcement of discipline.
Printed copies of presentations and other communications to stakeholders
(chiefly, parents and students) related to academic honesty and
consequences. This included a review of the academic honesty requirements
of the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma programme, which are nonnegotiable for schools.
Confidential notes, anecdotal accounts and other documentation that
demonstrated the manner in which BSM:
o Deals with academic honesty generally and how this has evolved over
the recent past
o Dealt with a specific case of academic dishonesty (Plagiarism) that
was uncovered February 2, 2015
o Supported the school community after the death of a student on
February 6th 2015.

The IRP was offered the opportunity to review a letter written to the Philippines
Secretary of the Department of Education reportedly by a group of concerned parents
about their feelings regarding some aspects of the school operations. The IRP, after
consideration, declined to use anonymously sourced information.
The IRP was also given full and unfettered access to BSM staff and other
stakeholders. In the course of its review, the panel met with and/or interviewed the
following stakeholders to review the school's pastoral care program, its policies, and
the events that occurred on the 2nd - 5th of February 2015:

Seven School faculty, administration and support staff: regarding general

school practices and responses following the incident on the 2nd - 5th February
2015, IB requirements
About eight year 13 students: regarding general school practices and policies
and incidents on the 2nd-5th February 2015
Ten parents of year 13 students as well as students from other years:
regarding school practices and policies and conduct of BSM after the incident.
The IRP was also provided some email correspondence from some
interviewees to clarify statements.

An anonymous letter, purportedly from a group of BSM parents, was forwarded by

Mrs. Trixie Madamba with a request that it interview a select list of parents and
students. The note is silent as to:

REVIEW FINDINGS

The nature of the information the adults would share and why they were
nominated
If the individuals named were willing to be interviewed, or knew they had been
nominated
If the parents of the students who were nominated were aware of this.

Given these questions, the IRP determined to proceed without additional testimony,
but would leave the option to consider further testimony if it was deemed needed
(note that some of those on the list were already part of those that were interviewed).
The following Documents were accepted and noted by the IRP as additional
evidence:
Policy
The school Teaching and
Learning Policy

Coverage
Use in document
Relates to philosophy of
Referred to by IRP in
learning and practices
addendums
relating to learning and
teaching at BSM
The school anti-bullying
Legal requirement of the
When referring to
policy
school. States how we deal understanding of school
with Bullying and our
practice and how we deal
practices in dealing with
with 'major incidents'. 1.1
'major issues'.
The school Child protection Legal requirement of the
When referring to
policy
school. States how we deal understanding of school
with Child Protection and
practices in dealing with
practices in dealing with
'major incidents'. 1.1
'major issues'.
Pastoral Care policy
How we provide and support Referred to in approach/
Student Welfare
philosophy to dealing with
students and families
How parents and students Relates to how
The school Complaints
can approach the school
students/families can raise
procedures
should they have concerns concerns with the school
Behaviour Policy - this was How we deal with behaviour Provides leveling of poor
behaviour; teacher
sent to IRP but is not
issues.
expectations when dealing
referred to in the addendum
with poor behaviour not
or in this document
reference by the IRP
however used in our
annotations. 1.8
Summaries of school
Referring to statements
All communication with
communications related to school community and
made in 2.4
the February 5th incident and response to the incident
school response post
incident
Evidence of parent
How our communication and How our processes are share
orientation processes
student support processes with our community
(Powerpoint)
function
Confidentiality Policy Legal requirement of the
Referred to in section ... as
inclusive of confidentiality
school. How we deal with
not existing in the school
student information
confidential information.
not request by IRP
Sexual Harassment Policy Legal requirement of the
Referred to in section 1.1 as
school. Relates to how we not existing in the school
deal with sexual harassment not requested by IRP
Scope Area 1: To review BSM processes and practices dealing with plagiarism for
year 12/13 students and how these are applied.

1.1

Is the plagiarism policy consistent with Philippine law? Does it make a

difference that a student was 18?

Finding: Plagiarism has been defined by the Supreme Court as a 'deliberate

and knowing presentation of another person's original ideas or creative
2

1.2

expression as one's own'. Thus plagiarism presupposes intent and a

deliberate and conscious effort to steal another's work and pass it of as one's
own.1
While the Plagiarism policy is consistent with Philippine law, there should be a
leveling of the severity of the offense vis-a-vis the volume of work supposedly
plagiarized which negates good faith or honest mistake. As ruled by the
Supreme Court, an act of plagiarism presupposes deliberate intent. If
negligence, or good faith/honest mistake can be established, there can be no
finding of plagiarism.2
It makes no difference that a student was 18. Philippine laws apply to the
School. While there is a Memorandum of Understanding between the
Department of Education and the Board of Trustees of the School,
exemptions granted the school pertain only to the course curriculum,
qualifications of faculty and administrators, the school calendar, and the
student population. The School is clearly obligated to comply with DepEd
regulations, particularly those which implement education legislations
designed to promote and protect the best interest of the students; e.g. Child
Abuse Law, Anti-Sexual Harassment Law, Anti-Bullying Law.
Is the plagiarism policy reasonable?

1.3

Finding: Yes. The BSM general rule prohibiting plagiarism and promoting
academic honesty is consistent with other international schools in its scope
and expectation.
Is the plagiarism policy clearly written?

1.4

Finding: The school defines plagiarism in a number of different, but

consistent, ways and elaborates these through multiple iterations. While the
school is extremely clear in its depiction of plagiarism as a major infraction of
school expectations, it is far less clear in its description of penalty (outside of
consequences for violating external requirements for IB), or the students'
rights of due process, or for internal violations.
Is the plagiarism policy communicated appropriately to student stakeholders
and parents?

Finding: The school policy is clearly and regularly communicated to relevant

stakeholders. It is shared with students of all grades over time in a
progressive age-appropriate manner. There was unanimous agreement by IB
students interviewed what was meant by "plagiarism", and that it was a very
serious offence. All agreed that there were resources in place to get help if
necessary to avoid getting into trouble in this arena.
However, the processes that the school will commit to follow to ascertain
student guilt are not documented and, as a result, inconsistently followed.3The
students thus expressed some confusion with respect to the penalties that
would be imposed upon violation of the policy.
Further, there was some reported confusion regarding the role of a 'draft'
assignment at BSM and whether students understand that drafts are to be
treated as a submitted piece of work. This was not viewed as a material issue.

1.5

Is the process/practice for dealing with plagiarism documented for all

stakeholders, including teachers?

1 In re: Charges of Plagiarism, etc. against Associate Justice Mariano C. Del Castillo, A.M. No. 10-7-17SC, 12 October 2010
2 DOJ Advisory Opinion on Plagiarism, Advisory Opinion No.2 (Series of 2012), 18 September 2012 "However, plagiarism perse is not punishable as a crime under the IPC unless it amounts to a copyright
infringement, xxx There are various exempting circumstances however that would absolve any person
from a charge of copyright infringement. Among others, the limitations to the copyright protection under
the IPC are: x x b. news of the day x x c. any work of the Government of the Philippines x x x"
3 For example, the school has operated with an expectation that students should reflect on their
behavior in some manner to promote their understanding of their offense and its consequences.
However, this is reportedly inconsistently applied with some teachers reporting they read the students
reflections while some do not. Further, in the case of the incidents on February 2nd, one student was
given significantly more information regarding their punishment than was the other.

REVIEW FINDINGS

Finding: The school does not outline specific practices for dealing with
Plagiarism, however, it does for major offences such as Drug Use4, Bullying
and Child protection issues. The same information presented to students and
parents in regard to plagiarism is the same presented to teachers and lacks
any process requirements. While some elements of the school's handling of
cases of this type are consistent between staff (meeting with a senior staff
member prior to communication with students, student's writing reflections),
others are not. Further, some critical elements of discipline management are
not codified by the school sufficiently and are therefore left to the discretion of
individual staff members. Included in these critical elements are:
o Student rights (including confidentiality)
o Expected level of parent communication and at what point a parent
should be notified
o Consideration of any cultural differences between the students in the
school and members of the faculty.

1.6

Are the formal penalties for acts of plagiarism at BSM reasonable?

Finding: The school reported that there are formal penalties for plagiarism, as
well as processes that are intended to reduce future occurrences. The
penalty(s) cited by the school can be labeled the 'natural' consequence of
dishonesty, whereby the school refuses to accept the dishonest work and the
students are required to re-do it to an acceptable level. In order to support
students, the school also requires some level of supervised student detention.
This is consistent with the practice in other schools, and, in fact, is gentler at
BSM than in other places. In conversation with school staff, this is seen as the
'major' school-level consequence5.
The process that is intended to further ensure that students do not repeat
academically dishonest behavior is to write a 'reflection statement' that is
intended to encourage the student to think deeply about what their behavior
meant to them and how it potentially impacted others. While a task of this sort
may be structured in a number of ways, the school has in past cases used the
form of a 'letter' to focus student comments. There is, in fact, a clear
expectation that a reflective process will be used to educate students as to
their responsibilities and school expectations. Further, the other expectations
cited above in the Teaching & Learning Policy give clear guidance as the
nature of the expected reflection the student should perform.

A Case Study
Once plagiarism by one of the students had been identified by the IB Coordinator she
met with her line-manager. They viewed the plagiarism as sufficiently serious to
potentially be a failing condition for the IB Diploma and then they discussed how to
approach this issue. This meeting took place in the Deputy Head's office. The
consequences agreed included reflection and a sanction. The second student's
plagiarism was later identified and was similar in nature and in the same assignment.
The IB Coordinator decided to deal with both students together.
In the case of two students on February 5, both students admitted that they had
committed plagiarism immediately and prior to any consequences being shared.
In the case of two students on February 5, the reflection process was evidently also
seen by students as a punishment. In fact, it was seen as a far more significant
penalty than was the school-perceived major penalty.
A review of the student letters is telling. Each student reflection letter focused on the
shame they felt they deserved from their peers, family and teachers and how they
had badly disappointed others. Neither letter mentioned the other (academic) penalty
(if they thought it was fair or otherwise) or the broader effects of their academic
dishonesty (the effect on the people from whom they copied and how their dishonesty
made a consideration of what they learned impossible to assess and therefore

4 The school has made it clear in writing that plagiarism is a major offence but has not outlined steps for
staff that are comparable in any way to those of drug use.
5 As noted in school literature, out-of-school sanctions applied by the IB are far less tolerant and
generally result in severe academic penalties that are beyond the school's ability to moderate in any
way.

deprived themselves of a learning experience, etc.). Further, neither student offered a

constructive suggestion as to how they could avoid this in the future- a stated intent
of the exercise.
It is concluded that the directions given to both the students, who were in separate
rooms when the letters were written, encouraged them to focus their reflection in this
manner- as apologies. As a result of the oral directions they were apparently given or
misunderstood, the students focused on their transgression and not on constructive
ways to avoid this behavior in the future6. In this regard, the reflection letter became
far more of a penalty than perhaps was intended when the deputy head and the
teacher further discussed it in the hall and, based on the products both students
produced, is seen by the IRP as excessive and non-constructive.
Of perhaps even greater import is that it appeared to the IRP, based on document
review and interview, that there was significant confusion over the intended audience
for these letters. While the IRP was informed by the teacher that the only person who
was to see the letters was the teacher, it appeared to the IRP that one of the students
was, at least initially, under the impression that these letters would be sent to the
addressees. To do so would have potentially exposed the writer(s) to significant
public humiliation and be counter to the school's stated philosophy7. In the case of
the one student, it was clear that this misconception was later resolved during a oneon-one conversation when the student demonstrated distress. In the other, however,
there is only testimony that it was made clear to the student. As the IRP was unable
to speak to both students they could not make a definitive determination one way or
another whether both students were given the same message.
1.7Is the disciplinary process for acts of Plagiarism consistently applied in all
settings?

Finding: The Teaching and Learning Policy and the Behaviour Policy provide
ample formal guidance (guidelines) for actions.

1.8
Is the disciplinary process consistent with the school philosophy, other
schools practice and IB requirements?

Finding: The process of reflection is an expectation and sufficiently

documented for a staff member to apply this in the spirit of the school
philosophy. While added detail would be desirable (and according to the
school -planned) any capable staff member should be able to use the
teaching and learning policy to craft an appropriate response to student
infractions of rules.
Schools are mandated to implement a disciplinary process consistent with the
laws and DepEd regulations. The philosophy (progressive/non punitive)
shared in interviews behind BSM school discipline is consistent with other
schools.
It is clear from the above that BSM has in place documentation for most of the
policies and procedures required. However, if and how these are implemented
in every case is beyond the scope of the IRP, but should be a serious
consideration for review by the school.

Scope Area 2: To review BSM support structures in place for students during the
course of the IB diploma programme.
2.1
Does the school monitor the on-going pastoral/emotional needs of IB Diploma
students?

2.2

Finding: Yes, the school does monitor the mental well-being of students in the
IB program. The school has processes in place to identify and support
students over time.
Is the pastoral and related disciplinary program clearly documented for all

6 The school is silent in its directions regarding the reflections. One teacher related that they did not
intend to read them at all- an educational practice the IRP finds highly questionable- how do teachers
know if the exercise is useful or has had the desired effect if they do not read them? If an assignment of
this sort does not promote the intended result, it should be discontinued or modified.
7 One student reported that apology letters written by some students to others were sent at some point
in the past. Whether this was true or not, this belief lent credence to the idea that other letters would be
sent as well and heightened anxiety.

REVIEW FINDINGS

stakeholders?
Finding: Based primarily on a review of the school Teaching and Learning
Policy (not in evidence earlier) there is now evidence that the school does
outline expectations in a manner that should provide all employees clear
guidance. The IRP, however, finds the policy lacking in providing for the
specific steps that must be followed by the school in dealing with serious
disciplinary cases involving students to ensure the students' and the parents'
right to due process as required by the Department of Education and
Philippine jurisprudence.
The portions of the T&L policy that outlines expectations and should provide
clear guidance to all employees are as follows:
Teachers support the School's philosophy and objectives statement by:
promoting students' self-esteem in order to help them build positive
relationships with others,
nurturing students' emotional, intellectual, spiritual, creative and physical wellbeing,
In providing an environment for learning, the School will seek to promote:
a safe atmosphere supported by the effective use of strategies to encourage
appropriate behaviour,
high self-image and self-esteem,
Feedback to students should:
build every student's self-esteem through sensitive constructive comments,
encourage, motivate and reward,
be explicit,
identify misunderstandings or gaps in learning,
give insight on how to improve further.
Excellence in achievement/effort is celebrated by:
Encouraging students to believe that any work to be displayed should
represent the highest standards of their own personal effort and achievement.
The Assistant Heads will:
review teaching and learning and professional development each academic
year through performance management. Teachers will be observed as part of
this process,
monitor how effective teaching and learning strategies are in terms of raising
student attainment.
2.3

Is this program supported by qualified professionals?

Finding: Yes. There are established positions like the guidance counselor and
form tutors to support the program.

2.4
Does the school have emergency pastoral plans in place to treat school
emergencies?

Finding: The school reacted to the crisis on February 6 proactively, in terms of

pastoral care and continues to provide support. However, the handling of the
communication side to the public has given the impression to a number of
stakeholders that it was inadequate.

RECOMMENDATIONS
While the school has strong personal and a positive school/family relationships it
should work towards a fully shared, clear, consistent and common understanding of
philosophies, practices and policies. In view of the process the IRP have been
through, they would recommend that the school should:
1.
Formally review the school Environment for Learning Philosophy. It should
use this philosophy to review:
a.
Policy related to stakeholder relations, particularly faculty to student.
b.
A clear and practical discipline programme for the school that includes
the rights of all stakeholders as well as their expectations. Including specific

steps that must be followed by the school in dealing with serious disciplinary
cases involving students to ensure the students' and the parents' right to due
process as required by the Department of Education and Philippine
jurisprudence.
c.
The sufficiency of the cultural on-boarding for all staff especially
faculty. Note that year 12 and 13 are majority local/Asian background.
2.
While this is in progress the school should, with urgency, critically review all
penalties to ensure that they are reasonable and culturally and educationally
appropriate.
3.
The school should define 'major events' and generate a system for treatment
that reduces chances for misunderstanding.
a.
It may be that BSM will need to have more than one person in the
room during all significant disciplinary events.
b.
While each disciplinary case is unique, there should be a standard
approach such as a common self-reflection process followed by constructive
mentoring/coaching8.
4.Review the school- home-school communications protocol, policy and expectations
for all matters. Specific actions are:
a.
The contract concerning student and parent awareness of the rules
and consequences (as contained in the student handbook and family
handbook) should be clearly explained and require that they are signed and
turned in.
b.
Review policy on relying on the students to be the first to inform their
parents of issues at school instead of the school administration.

8 The requirement of reflection to assist students to consider their behavior(s) and their impact is an
accepted school practice.