TEACHER’S PROFESSIONAL CODE OF CONDUCT

SESSION V – LEARNING SESSION

TEACHER’S PROFESSIONALCODE OF CONDUCT

Muriel Poisson

© IIEP-UNESCO

Policy Lab for Education Policy Experts and Practitioners:‘Teaching profession: Policies and challenges’

Baku, 20-21 May 2014

Poisson 2013 © IIEP-UNESCO

PART I. What is a code?2

Why a code?

To improve the ethics of the teaching profession

What is a code?

A set of guidelines, which details the set of recognized ethical norms and professional standards of conduct to which all members of a profession must adhere

What does it include?

Core values (ethics) and standards of conduct (behavior)


More than 60 countries have adopted a code so far

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Source: http://teachercodes.iiep.unesco.org/

Countries with a general code for the public service

Countries with a law on the status of the teacher

Countries having developed a code several decades ago

Countries having adopted a code after the nineties

Countries undergoing a revision of their code


Various perceptions of codes

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National codes of conduct and regional or provincial codes of conduct (USA, Canada), school code

Code developed by a teacher union, while no code is currently applicable (Sweden)

Code under development Lack of awareness about

the existence of a code

We do have a code!

No, we don’t!


1. Scope of a code5

Standards for the behaviour and professional

practice of teachers

Code of ethics

A set of inspirational goals based

around values

Code of conduct

A more detailed set of standards for professional and personal

conduct based on the values set

in the code of ethics

Standards of professional

practice

A set of standards, which

apply to all registered

teachers, that articulate what all teachers should

be able to do

Source: Victoria institute of Teaching, 2013


2. Target of a code6

Target the primary and secondary levels of the education system?

Additional codes for early-childhood and tertiary education?

Apply equally to tenured and contractual staff?

“Given their importance in the education process, and their unique

position of trust and influence, especially on pupils, the code should

focus on teachers”


3. Objectives of a code7

Importance of

the code for

teachers!

Improve the ethics of the teaching profession

Improve regulation and control of teacher misconduct

Protect students from unethical conduct of teachers

Promote a positive image of the teaching profession

Promote a feeling of professional identity among teachers

Improve the quality of teaching


Major ethical issues/dilemmas8

Offers private tutoring to students

Use teacher unions to avoid disciplinary sanctions

Takes advantage of personal relations to be recruited/promoted/transferred

Is absent without justification Favours/disadvantages certain

students Give money/gifts to a civil

servant to be recruited/promoted/transferred

Disseminates confidential information

Lies about qualifications/diplomas

Diverts school funding Is physically violent with a

student Collects illegal fees from

students Uses harassment with a

student Steals school equipment Has sexual relations with a

student Goes to work under the

influence of alcohol (or drugs)


‘Children’s safety’9

« Children’s safety is of utmost importance because once in the

school, the children become the sole responsibility of the teachers in all

aspects. It is also important that the child gets to learn something of value

in the school ».

Participant in IIEP Forum on teacher codes, December 2011


104. Main steps in code development


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Review existing laws and regulations applying to the teaching profession in the country considered

Analyze current codes (including any existing code in the country considered)

Commission surveys, case studies (for instance, on cases presenting specific ethical difficulties) and briefs

Ontario College of Teachers,

Canada

• international and national literature

• Education Act, Teaching Profession Act, School Board and Teachers Collective Negotiations Act

• policy statements and practices from various teacher organizations and other self-regulatory professions

5. Review of existing regulations


126. Consultation process

Involve all interested parties

Provide clear/concise info before launching the process

Ensure that all stakeholders are heard

Ensure that the consultation is accessible to all

Record all the inputs accurately

Provide feedback on how the consultation was used

General Teaching Council for England,

UK

April 2008 report: information about workshops with teachers, parents, school governors, young people, other children's professionals and head teachersMay 2008 report : views of 60 teachers on the future of teaching

http://www.vit.vic.edu.au/SiteCollectionDocuments/VIDEO/1412_1.2-A.wmv


7. Drafting the core values

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8. Drafting the standards of conduct14

Teachers

Teaching professio

n

Parents

School staff

Students


Teachers’ responsibilities15

Towardspupils

Towards parents

andthe

community

TowardsColleagues

Towardsemployers

Towardsthe

profession

Shall respect the learner’s right and dignity without prejudice to gender, colour, age, race, place of origin, language, sexual orientation, socio-economic background, family status, religion, etc.

Shall conduct himself/herself in a manner that does not show disrespect to the values, beliefs and customs of the parents, and to the broader community.

Shall refrain from undermining the status and authority of his/her colleagues.

Shall be truthful when making statements about his/her qualifications and credentials.

Shall act in a manner that upholds the honour and dignity of the profession.


169. Adopting the code

Education Department, Hong

Kong (China)

The Education Department has issued a circular to all schools to encourage them to

adopt the Code for their teaching and non-

teaching staff and to send the Code to

parents, suppliers and contractors for

reference

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Adopt the code formally Ask the members of the

teacher service commission/registration board to adhere to the code

Ask teachers to sign a copy of the code when accepting a position

Make the code binding for teacher accreditation/certification


Conclusion: planning the development of the code

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QUESTIONS FOR DEBATE18

What are the major challenges to code

success?


“Useful instruments, not effectively enforced”

Limited access to the codes Absence of training Low capacity to enforce the codes Little knowledge of procedures for lodging

complaints Lack of “watchdogs” Role played by teacher unions No database on evidences of unethical

practices

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Existing and potential problems in the monitoring and control of code application


PART II. How to make the codes useful?

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1. Simplify the norms and make them as relevant as possible

2. Promote ownership by including the issue of professional conduct in teacher training

3. Ensure the wide diffusion of the code

4. Strengthen complaints systems

5. Monitor code implementation on a regular basis

© IIEP-UNESCOPoisson 2012

1. Simplify the norms22

Respondents to the ‘without code’ questionnaire mostly felt that a code should be between 5 and 6 pages

21 % felt that it should be less than 5 pages

Only 13% felt that the code should be more than 20 pages

The one page Alberta code


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2. Promote ownership Develop appropriate

material to help the education profession and community to understand the code, and be informed of reporting mechanisms, such as:• flyers• detailed handbook• resource kit• videos

Use this material in self-study or group discussions on ethical dilemmas

Victorian Institute of Teaching,

Australia

Solving an ethical dilemma

How would you react to a student who said ‘if it tell you something, will you

keep it a secret?’




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3. Ensure wide diffusion of the code

TEACHERS PUPILS PARENTS COMMUNITY Circular letter to all

teachers/schools Information meetings

with teachers and unions Posters/flyers in all

schools A dedicated webpage Media outreach Ref. to the code in the

school newsletter A toolkit to help schools

organize communication campaigns

Publication of articles in specialized press for teachers

Media outreach (TV, radio, newspapers)

Posters/flyers in all classrooms

Distribution of a brochure

Information meetings with PTAs

Media outreach Ref. to the code in

the parents’ handbook

A dedicated webpage

Publication of articles in specialized press for parents

Suggestion of possible awareness activities during the school year

Local elected officials and community leaders invited to participate in school activities devoted to the code

Local education administrators invited to deliver messages about the code during special school events


Dissemination modes25

Modes and efficiency of dissemination of the code (according to ‘with code’ respondents)


26Poster displaying the code, New Zealand


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4. Strengthen complaint mechanisms Establish a joint committee

responsible for collecting, examining, and responding to complaints

Include unions in the committee, as full members or observers

Consider a range of sanctions, depending on the gravity of the misconduct:• disciplinary action• removal from the teachers’

register• reinstatement, in the event

of a non-guilty ruling

IIEP survey

Most appropriate sanctions for inappropriate behaviour:

• warnings (79 per cent)• exclusion from the

teaching profession (63 per cent)

• transfer (53 per cent)

Only 40 per cent of the respondents agreed that fines or sanctions in the form of amicable agreements should be given


285. Monitor code implementation Follow-up and analyze:• number of copies distributed• number of teachers who have signed

the code• existence of teacher education modules• number and types of complaints

received• number of investigations conducted• number and types of sanctions taken

Visit schools to evaluate the extent of enforcement of the code

Publicize success stories emphasizing the positive impact of the code

Publish an annual report based on these findings


29Opinion survey

Do you have easy access to copies of the teacher code of conduct?

As someone working in education, to what extent has the code been helpful as a guide to resolving the ethical problems and dilemmas you face in your everyday work?

Have you or your colleagues been given any training on the code?

Do you find the code easy to understand? To what extent are you familiar with the procedures

for making complaints about professional misconduct by colleagues?

To what extent do you think complaints are taken seriously?

To what extent is the code of conduct adequately enforced?

Please state briefly what you think are the main problems in enforcing the code of conduct: ................

Comparing the situation before and after the introduction of the code, what impact has the code had on improving the professional conduct of teachers?


Conclusion A code is a document whose main objective is

to improve the ethics of the teaching profession

It is intended for teachers, should be included in teacher training, and adherence should be mandatory

A code should be formulated in such a way that it presents what should be done in a positive manner, and should treat principally teachers’ values and relationships with others

There should be a procedure by which complaints can be registered against teachers whose behaviour violate code regulations

Code development requires careful planning…

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Group discussion 131

Identify major ethical issues/dilemmas faced

by Azeri teachers in their daily work that

are/should be addressed in the code

WARNING! Try to be systematic Try to be specific, referring to concrete

examples Try to prioritize malpractice / their seriousness

and frequency



Develop a strategic communication plan for the code that has just

been adopted in Azerbaijan

WARNING! Envisage different means of circulation of the

code, and a calendar Ensure that all teachers but also the general

public know about the code Reflect on the role of teacher

organizations/unions in the process



Discuss mechanisms to report misconducts at different levels of the

education system

WARNING! Study the reporting mechanisms used in

Azerbaijan Identify key actors to be mobilized at each level

of the Azeri education system Explain their main functions in terms of

reporting

TEACHER’S PROFESSIONAL CODE OF CONDUCT

Education

school code code

existing code

general code

code development

values code of conduct

iiepunesco childrens

applicable sweden code

iiep forum