The
term code of
ethics and code
of conduct have
been used interchangeably by Teachers and organizations. However the difference
between the terms ethics and conduct and as a result how codes are written.
Ethics may refer to truth, justice, honesty, right and fairness, with more
specific definition of ethics is stated as a principle of right and wrong
conduct and decision (Moss, 2006).
Banks
(2003) explain that
a code of
conduct is usually
a written document
produced by a professional
association, occupational regulatory
body or other
professional boy with
the stated aim of guiding
the practitioners who are members, protecting service users and
safeguarding the reputation of the profession
.
Code of Ethics for Teachers, the term
ethics refers to the relationships that exist between the teacher and his students
both in the
classroom and outside
of the classroom.
It also connotes the behavioral pattern among the teachers, students and
the community at large. It constitutes a set of rules and regulations that
directly or indirectly guides the practice of teaching (Ward, P. 2007).
2.0.
THE CODE OF CONDUCTS FOR TEACHERS IN AUSTRALIA
In Australia, the Codes of professional
conducts are set into five principles of public service ethics that should
guide the work of all teachers in meeting the educational needs of their
students. These principles are: service to the public, responsiveness to the government and the needs of the
public, accountability, fairness and integrity and lastly is efficiency and
effectiveness.
Service
to the public .Teachers are expected to abide by the
ACT Public Service Code of Conduct and Code of Ethics which provides both a
core set of standards covering the behavior
of staff in dealing with the public and a minimum set of behaviors expected of the ACTPS and its employees. A
defining characteristic of a profession is a spirit of public service.
Teachers serve the public interest by
Respect the dignity, rights and opinions of others. Teachers respect the
dignity, rights and opinions of others by respecting cultural, ethnic and
religious differences.
Demonstrate high standards of
professional practice. Teachers demonstrate a high standard in teaching,
learning by engaging students in their learning, working to achieve high-level
outcomes for all students and maintaining records to manage, monitor, assess,
and improve student learning.
Protect students from harm. Teachers
protect students from harm by recognizing that students have a right to a safe
and secure teaching and learning environment, reading, understanding and
complying with mandatory reporting requirements, reporting any reasonable
suspicion of harm caused to students
and supporting students who have been harmed.
Develop and maintain constructive
professional relationships with parents and careers, Teachers develop and
maintain constructive professional relationships with parents and careers by:
engaging in open communication, reporting on
student progress and learning options and
being responsive to all
reasonable requests in relation to their child’s education.
Exercise leadership in their role as
supervisors. Teachers exercise leadership in their role as supervisors by: acting as positive role models, acknowledging
the work of staff, encouraging initiative responsiveness and leadership amongst
staff, exercising their responsibilities conscientiously and prudently,
promoting participatory decision making and providing learning and development
opportunities for their staff.
Discourage any form of discrimination or
harassment in the workplace. Teachers act to help remove discrimination and
harassment in the workplace by:
promoting an environment that
is accepting of and tolerant of diversity, and is free from intimidation,
threat, humiliation and harassment, refraining from harassing behavior
including sexual harassment and refraining from unlawfully discriminating against
any person.
Responsiveness
to the government and the needs of the public. The ACT Public
Service’s primary responsibility is to the ACT community through serving the government that it has
elected. This means that teachers must
provide the same level of professionalism in the administration and delivery of government policies and services,
irrespective of the political persuasion
of the government.
Teachers are responsive to the
government and the needs of the public by: working to implement high quality
education services, implementing the policies of the elected government,
particularly as they relate to education and advance student learning and the
public interest, Teachers advance student learning and the public interest by: implementing the educational goals and
priorities of the school and system, working to develop an educational environment,
which addresses the needs of all students, including Indigenous students,
students with different ethnic or cultural backgrounds, students for whom
English is a second language and students with a disability , developing and
implementing effective pedagogies, reporting knowledge of suspected fraud, misconduct,
negligent management or any perceived risk to health or safety to an
appropriate person, complying with lawful
and reasonable directions from their supervisor(s) and making decisions and giving directions within
their authority.
Accountability.
Teachers are accountable to the Chief Executive for the authority they exercise
on the Chief Executive’s behalf. Teachers are accountable for upholding the law and adhering to the policies of the
government as they relate to their employment.
Teachers are also accountable for the educational programs they deliver.
Programs must be delivered effectively and impartially. Teachers must maintain
clear records of the reasons for their decisions.
Teachers are accountable for: encouraging
students to strive for high
standards and to value learning, cooperating with colleagues in the best
interest of students, accepting responsibility for developing their own professional knowledge and skills.
Fairness
and integrity. Teachers are placed in positions of
trust. They manage school resources. They
have access to school information and they make decisions that affect staff and
students. The trust that is placed in teachers requires that they conduct
themselves with Honesty, fairness, and
propriety.
Teachers act with fairness and integrity
when they: respect the rights and dignity of students, their
colleagues and others, avoid conflicts between their
private interests and professional responsibilities, and do not take, or seek
to take, improper advantage of their
position in order to obtain a benefit for themselves or any other person.
Efficiency
and effectiveness. The ethical principle of efficiency
and effectiveness seeks to obtain maximum value for the resources expended by
the Department in achieving high-level Outcomes for all students.
Teachers exercise efficient and
effective resource management by: acting
professionally and honestly at all times,
using school resources for official purposes (or
approved exemptions) and ensuring that they are not wasted or used
extravagantly, ensuring that any claims for expense payments are made in accordance with Departmental policy
and procedures, and only for costs incurred to
carry out school business, using all
electronic communication systems in accordance with Government and Departmental
policies and ensuring that they do not breach copyright law or licensing arrangements
when copying any school property such as software, library and reference materials, or other school property
What
happens if a Teacher breaches the code?
As public servants, teachers hold
special positions of trust, especially regarding children and young adults in
our community, and must be accountable for their actions at all times. If the
Department considers that the Code has been breached, disciplinary action may be taken. Any disciplinary action
shall be taken in accordance with the principles of natural justice and procedural fairness and
in a manner that promotes the values and general principles of the ACT Public
Service (ACTPS).
Disciplinary action that may be taken in
response to proven breaches of the Code include: counseling, a written admonishment,
a financial penalty, transfer to other
duties (at or below current salary),
reduction in incremental point, a temporary or permanent reduction in
classification or salary and termination of employment.
2.1.
SOUTH AFRICA TEACHERS CODES OF CONDUCT
Teacher codes of conduct in south Africa
is adjusted by South African Council for Educators(SACE) to oversee teachers
moral and professionalism and this codes applies to registered or provisionally
registered with the SACE African Council for Educators must abide with the
prescribed code. The code of conducts in South Africa are divided into eight categories that is Genaral codes to the
educators, the educator and the learner, the educator and the parent, the
educator and the community, the educator and his or her colleagues, the
educator and the profession, the educator and his or her employer, and the educator and the council.
2.1.0. THE GENERAL CODE OF CONDUCTS TO THE EDUCATORS.
Acknowledge the noble calling of their
profession to educate and train the learners of our country.
Acknowledge that the attitude,
dedication, self-discipline, ideals, training and conduct of the teaching
profession determine the quality of education in this country;
Acknowledge,
uphold and promote
basic human rights,
as embodied in the
Constitution of South Africa.
Commit them therefore to do all within
their power, in the exercising of their professional duties, to act in
accordance with the ideals of their profession, as expressed in this Code; and
Act in a proper and becoming way such
that their behavior does not bring the teaching profession into disrepute.
2.1.1. CODE OF CONDUCT BETWEEN THE EDUCATOR AND THE
LEARNER.
An educator has to;
Respects the dignity, beliefs and
constitutional rights of learners and in particular children, which includes
the right to privacy and confidentiality.
Acknowledges the uniqueness,
individuality, and specific
needs of each
learner, guiding and encouraging each to realize his or her
potentialities;
Strives to enable learners to develop a
set of values consistent with the fundamental rights contained in the
Constitution of South Africa.
Avoids any form of humiliation, and
refrains from any form of abuse, physical or psychological;
Refrains from improper physical contact
with learners.
Refrains from any form of sexual
harassment (physical or otherwise) of learners.
Refrains from any form of sexual relationship
with learners at any school;
Uses appropriate language and behaviour in his
or her interaction with learners, and acts in such a way as to elicit respect
from the learners.
Takes reasonable steps to ensure the
safety of the learner..
2.1.2. CODE OF CONDUCT BETWEEN THE
EDUCATOR AND THE PARENT,
An educator, where appropriate:
Recognises the parents as partners in
education, and promotes a harmonious relationship with them;
and does what is practically possible to
keep parents adequately and timorously informed about the wellbeing and
progress of the learner.
2.1. 3. CODE OF CONDUCT BETWEEN THE
EDUCATOR AND THE COMMUNITY,
An
educator,
Recognizes that an educational
institution serves the community, and therefore acknowledges that
there will be differing customs, codes
and beliefs in the community; and conducts
him or her in a manner that does not show disrespect to the values,
customs and norms of the community.
2.1.4. CODE OF CONDUCT BETWEEN THE
EDUCATOR AND HIS OR HER COLLEAGUES,
An educator;
Refrains from undermining the status and
authority of his or her colleagues;
Respects the various responsibilities
assigned to colleagues and the authority that arises there from, to Ensure the
smooth running of the educational institution;
Uses proper procedures to address issues of
professional incompetence or misbehaviour;
Promotes gender equality and refrains from
sexual harassment (physical or otherwise) of his or her colleagues;
Uses appropriate language and behavior
in his or her interactions with colleagues;
Avoids any form of humiliation, and
refrains from any form of abuse (physical or otherwise) towards colleagues.
2.1.5. CODE OF CONDUCT BETWEEN THE
EDUCATOR AND THE PROFESSION,
An educator;
Acknowledges
that the exercising of his or her professional duties occurs within context
requiring co-operation with and support of colleagues.
Behaves in a way that enhances the
dignity and status of the teaching profession and that does not bring the
profession into disrepute.
Keeps abreast of educational trends and
developments;
Promotes
the ongoing development of teaching as a profession;
2.1.6. CODE OF CONDUCT BETWEEN THE
EDUCATOR AND HIS OR HER EMPLOYER,
An educator:
Recognizes the employer as a partner in
education.
Acknowledges that certain responsibilities and
authorities are vested in the employer through
Legislation, and serves his or her
employer to the best of his or her ability.
Refrains from discussing confidential
and official matters with unauthorized person
2.1.7. CODE OF CONDUCT BETWEEN THE
EDUCATOR AND THE COUNCIL.
An educator:
Makes every effort to familiarize him or
herself and his or her colleagues with the provisions of the Code.
Complies with the provisions of this Code.
Discloses all relevant information to the Council.
Informs Council and or relevant
authorities of alleged or apparent breaches of the Code within his or her knowledge.
2.2.
ENGLAND TEACHERS CODES OF CONDUCTS
Teachers
make the education
of their pupils
their first concern,
and are accountable
for achieving the highest
possible standards in
work and conduct.
Teachers act with
honesty and integrity,
have strong subject knowledge,
keep their knowledge
and skills as
teachers up-to-date and
are self-critical, forge positive
professional relationships; and work with parents in the best interests of
their pupils.
2.2.0.
Part One: Teaching.
A Teacher must:
Set
high expectations which
inspire, motivate and
challenge pupils establish
a safe and
stimulating environment for pupils,
rooted in mutual respect set
goals that stretch
and challenge pupils
of all backgrounds, abilities
and dispositions demonstrate consistently
the positive attitudes,
values and behaviour which are
expected of pupils.
Promote
good progress and
outcomes by pupils be accountable for
pupils attainment, progress and outcomes be aware of pupils capabilities
and their prior knowledge, and plan teaching to build on these guide pupils to
reflect on the progress they have made and their emerging needs demonstrate
knowledge and understanding of
how pupils learn
and how this
impacts on teaching encourage pupils to
take a responsible and
conscientious attitude to their own work and study.
Demonstrate good subject and curriculum
knowledge have a secure knowledge of the relevant subject(s) and curriculum areas,
foster and maintain pupils interest in the subject, and address
misunderstandings
Plan and teach well-structured lessons
impart knowledge and develop understanding through effective use of lesson time
promote a love of learning and children intellectual curiosity set homework and
plan other out-of-class activities
to consolidate and
extend the knowledge
and understanding pupils
have acquired reflect systematically on the effectiveness of lessons and
approaches to teaching contribute to the design and provision of an engaging
curriculum within the relevant subject area(s).
Adapt teaching to respond to the
strengths and needs of all pupils know when and how to differentiate
appropriately, using approaches which enable pupils to be taught effectively
have a secure understanding of how a range of factors can inhibit pupils
ability to learn, and how best to overcome these demonstrate an awareness of
the physical, social and intellectual development of children, and know how to
adapt teaching to support pupils education at different stages of development
have a clear understanding of the needs of all pupils, including
those with special
educational needs; those
of high ability;
those with English
as an additional language; those
with disabilities; and be able to use and evaluate distinctive teaching
approaches to engage and support them.
Make accurate and productive use of
assessment know and understand how to assess the relevant subject and
curriculum areas, including statutory assessment requirements make use of
formative and summative assessment to secure pupils progress use relevant data
to monitor progress, set targets, and plan subsequent lessons give pupils
regular feedback, both orally and through accurate marking, and encourage
pupils to respond to the feedback.
Manage behavior effectively to ensure
a good and safe learning environment have clear
rules and routines for behavior in classrooms,
and take responsibility for
promoting good and
courteous behavior both in classrooms
and around the school,
in accordance with the
schools behavior policy have high
expectations of behavior, and establish a framework for discipline with a range
of strategies, using praise, sanctions
and rewards consistently
and fairly manage
classes effectively, using
approaches which are appropriate to pupils needs in order to involve and motivate them
maintain good relationships with pupils, exercise appropriate authority, and
act decisively when necessary.
Fulfill wider professional
responsibilities make a positive contribution to the wider life and ethos of
the school develop effective professional
relationships with colleagues,
knowing how and
when to draw on advice and specialist support deploy support staff effectively take responsibility for improving teaching through appropriate
professional development, responding
to advice and
feedback from colleagues communicate
effectively with parents with regard to pupils achievements and well-being.
2.2.1.
Part Two: Personal and professional conduct.
A teacher is expected to demonstrate
consistently high standards of personal and professional conduct. The
following statements define
the behavior and attitudes
which set the
required standard for
conduct throughout a teacher’s career.
Teachers uphold public trust in the
profession and maintain high standards of ethics and behavior, within and
outside school, by treating pupils with dignity, building relationships rooted
in mutual respect, and at all times observing proper boundaries appropriate to
a teachers professional position having regard for the need to
safeguard pupils well-being,
in accordance with statutory
provisions showing tolerance of and
respect for the rights of others not undermining fundamental British values,
including democracy, the rule of
law, individual liberty
and mutual respect,
and tolerance of those
with different faiths
and beliefs ensuring that
personal beliefs are not expressed in ways which exploit pupils vulnerability
or might lead them to break the law.
Teachers must have proper and
professional regard for the ethos, policies and practices of the school in
which they teach, and maintain high standards in their own attendance and
punctuality.
Teachers must have an understanding of,
and always act within, the statutory frameworks which set out their
professional duties and responsibilities.
2.3.
TEACHERS CODES OF CONDUCTS OF BOTSWANA
Teacher’s codes of conducts in Botswana
are being given mandate to the Teachers Council of Botswana sets out the
following standards that apply to all registered teachers regardless of their
position.
Professional
Values and Relationships
Teachers should:
Be caring, fair and committed to the
best interests of the pupils/students entrusted to their care, and seek to
motivate, inspire and celebrate effort and success
Acknowledge and
respect the uniqueness,
individuality and specific needs
of pupils/ students
and promote their holistic development
Be committed to equality and inclusion
and to respecting and accommodating diversity including those differences
arising from gender, civil status, family status, sexual orientation, religion,
age, disability, race, ethnicity, membership of the Traveller community and
socio-economic status, and any further grounds as may be referenced in equality
legislation in the future.
Seek to
develop positive relationships
with pupils/students, colleagues,
parents, school management and others in the school
community, that are characterized by professional integrity and judgments.
Professional
Integrity.
Teachers should:
Act with honesty and integrity in all
aspects of their work
Respect
the privacy of
others and the
confidentiality of information
gained in the course
of professional practice, unless a legal imperative requires disclosure
or there is a legitimate concern for the wellbeing of an individual
Represent themselves, their professional
status, qualifications and experience honestly
Avoid conflict between
their professional work and
private interests which
could reasonably be deemed to
impact negatively on pupils/students.
Professional
Conduct
Teachers should:
Take all reasonable steps in relation to
the care of pupils/students under their supervision, to ensure their safety and
welfare
Work within the framework of relevant
legislation and regulations
Comply with agreed national and school policies,
procedures and guidelines that aim to
Promote pupil/student education and
welfare and child protection
Communicate effectively with pupils or students,
colleagues, parents, school management and others in the school community in a
manner that is professional, collaborative and supportive, and based on trust and
respect and others is appropriate, including communication via electronic media,
such as e-mail, texting and social networking sites
Professional
Practice
Teachers should:
Maintain
high standards of
practice in relation to
pupil/student learning, planning,
monitoring, assessing, reporting and providing feedback.
Plan and communicate clear, challenging
and achievable expectations for pupils or students
Create an environment where pupils/students
can become active agents in the learning process and develop lifelong learning
skills.
Develop teaching, learning and
assessment strategies that support differentiated learning
in a way that respects the dignity of
all pupils or students.
Inform their professional judgement and
practice by engaging with, and reflecting on, pupil or student development,
learning theory, pedagogy, curriculum development, ethical practice,
educational policy and legislation.
In a context of mutual respect, be open
and responsive to constructive feedback regarding
their practice and, if necessary, seek
appropriate support, advice and guidance.
Professional
Development
Teachers should:
Take personal responsibility for
sustaining and improving the quality of their professional practice by:
actively maintaining their professional knowledge and understanding to ensure
it is current reflecting on and critically evaluating their professional practice, in light of
their professional knowledge base availing of opportunities for career-long
professional development.
Professional
Collegiality and Collaboration
Teachers should:
Work
with teaching colleagues
and student teachers
in the interests of
sharing, developing and supporting good practice and maintaining
the highest quality of educational experiences for pupils or students Work
in a
collaborative manner with pupils/students, parents or guardians, school management, other members of staff,
relevant professionals and the wider
school community, as appropriate, in
seeking to effectively meet the
needs of pupils or students.
Cooperate with
the Inspectorate of the
Department of Education and
Skills and other statutory and public non-statutory educational and
support services, as appropriate
Engage with the planning, implementation
and evaluation of curriculum at classroom and school level.
2.4.
CODE OF CONDUCTS FOR TEACHERS IN MAURITANIA.
The
Islamic Republic of
Mauritania is located
in North western Africa
and is bordered
by the Atlantic Ocean and the Western Sahara in the
west, Mali in the east, Algeria in the North and Senegal in the South. The
Islamic Republic of Mauritania is governed by Islamic laws and the Islam is the
state religion .For this case the
Qur'an is source
of morals, mercy,
humility, devotion, tolerance
and peace from
which every citizen can be weighed
through for justice.
Sharia is what enshrines the
Constitution and legislations (organic laws, ordinary laws, ordinances and
decrees) as the sources of Mauritanian law. Given that, Islam is
constitutionally recognized as ‘the religion of the people and of the State’. It
is therefore Sharia is ‘the sole source of law.
In light of this theoretical primacy of
Sharia, applies as norms in the courts and such norms must be applied as the penal
Code and as standard code
of ethics across
the country in
civil service and
private service including
teaching profession. Sharia code is reference of action as the laws of the land
therefore the Penal Code provide for the application of the Sharia rules in
discharge of obligations and duties to people entails public service.
From
the premises above
we derive that, basically
there are no
professional codes of
conducts in Mauritania contrary
to Tanzania which these
codes of conduct
entailed in standing
orders and in professional organization for Teachers
(CWT).
There is no specific organ that deals
with teacher profession in maintenance of morals rather suctioned by sharia courts
in Mauritania while in Tanzania breach of codes of conduct to teacher monitored
by the organ called TSD and Civil service ethical committee.
2.5.
AMERICA CODE OF ETHICS FOR EDUCATORS
This Code of Ethics for Educators in
America is being Association of American Educators (AAE) and by the
distinguished Federal Education Advisory Board and by the Executive Committee
of Association of American Educators (AAE).Code of Ethics for Educators in
America it contains four basic principles relating to the rights of students
and educators as follows.
Ethical Conduct toward Students. The
professional educator accepts personal responsibility for teaching students
character qualities that will help
them evaluate the
consequences of and
accept the responsibility for
their actions and
choices. We strongly affirm
parents as the
primary moral educators
of their children.
Nevertheless, we believe all educators are obligated to help foster
civic virtues such as integrity, diligence, responsibility, cooperation,
loyalty, fidelity, and respect-for the law, for human life, for others, and for
self.
The professional educator, in accepting
his or her position of public trust, measures success not only by the
progress of each
student toward realization
of his or
her personal potential,
but also as
a citizen of the
greater community of the republic.
Ethical Conduct toward Practices and Performance.
The professional educator assumes responsibility and accountability for his or
her performance and continually strives to demonstrate competence. The
professional educator applies for, accepts, or assigns a position or a
responsibility based on professional qualifications, and adheres to the terms
of a contract or appointment. The professional educator maintains sound mental
health, physical stamina, and social prudence necessary to perform the duties
of any professional assignment.
Ethical Conduct toward Professional Colleagues.
The professional educator,
in exemplifying ethical
relations with colleagues, accords just
and equitable treatment to all
members of the profession. The
professional educator does
not reveal confidential
information concerning colleagues
unless required by law. The
professional educator does
not willfully make
false statements about a
colleague or the
school system. The
professional educator does
not interfere with
a colleague's freedom
of choice, and
works to eliminate coercion
that forces educators
to support actions
and ideologies that
violate individual professional
integrity.
Ethical Conduct toward Parents and
Community. The professional educator pledges to protect public sovereignty over
public education and private control of private education. The professional
educator recognizes that quality education is the common goal of the public,
boards of education, and educators, and that a cooperative effort is essential
among these groups to attain that goal. The professional educator makes
concerted efforts to communicate to parents all information that should be
revealed in the interest of the student. The professional educator endeavors to
understand and respect the values and traditions of the diverse cultures
represented in the community and in his or her classroom.
2.6.
CODE OF ETHICS FOR EDUCATORS IN NIGERIA.
The code of ethics in the teaching
profession in Nigeria is fashioned after the UNESCO/ILO recommended codes of
conduct. The ethics demand as follow:
Teaching
should be professionalized and Teachers must
have undertaken some
approved courses appropriate for
teacher preparation before being employed.
Teachers should be disciplined and there
should be sanctions and penalties for misbehavior. To this end a Teacher
Disciplinary Committee and a Teacher Investigating Panel had been provided for
by TRCN.
Teachers
assessment should be
objectively done and
there should be
right of appeal
against such assessment.
The relationship among Teacher and
between teachers and parents should be that of cooperation.
Teachers should take active part in
extra-curricular activities for the benefit of their pupils.
Teachers
should maintain cordiality
with administrative and
other staffers in
the schools for
good working relationship.
Teachers should participate in social
and public life of the community in the interest of teacher’s personal
development and for them to be socially relevant.
Teachers should also be free to exercise
their civic rights and be eligible for public office.
Teachers should not show any form of
discrimination in their operation in or out of school.
Teachers should not engage in any form
of defamation to colleagues.
It is against the ethics of the teaching
profession to sexually harass a learner.
Teachers should not be involved in any
form of examination malpractices.
It is against the ethics of teaching for
teacher to engage in cultism, bribery and corruption.
It is unethical for a teacher to give
corporal punishment unless duel authorized to do so.
Teachers are also barred from
influencing the learners ideologically.
2.7. CODE OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT
OF CANADA
The
Code of Professional Conduct stipulates minimum standards of professional
conduct of teachers of Canadian.
In relation to pupils.
The
teacher teaches in a manner that respects the dignity and rights of all persons
without prejudice as to race,
religious beliefs, color,
gender, sexual orientation,
gender identity, physical characteristics, disability,
marital status, family
status, age, ancestry, place
of origin, place
of residence, socioeconomic background or linguistic background.
The teacher
is responsible for
diagnosing educational needs,
prescribing and implementing
instructional
programs and evaluating progress of pupils.
The
teacher treats pupils with dignity and respect and is considerate of their
circumstances.
The
teacher may not divulge information about a pupil received in confidence or in
the course of
professional
duties except as required by law or where, in the judgment of the teacher, to
do so is in the best interest of the pupil.
The teacher
may not accept
pay for tutoring
a pupil in
any subjects in
which the teacher
is responsible for giving classroom instruction to that pupil.
In relation to school authorities
The
teacher protests the assignment of duties for which the teacher is not
qualified or conditions
which
make it difficult to render professional service.
The teacher
fulfills contractual obligations
to the employer
until released by
mutual consent or according to law.
The
teacher provides as much notice as possible of a decision to terminate
employment.
The
teacher adheres to agreements negotiated on the teacher's behalf by the
Association.
In relation to colleagues
. The teacher does not undermine the confidence of pupils in other teachers,
The teacher
criticizes the professional
competence or professional
reputation of another
teacher only in confidence to proper officials and after the other
teacher has been informed of the criticism, subject only to section 24 of the
Teaching Profession Act.
The
teacher, when making a report on the professional performance of another
teacher, does so in good faith and, prior to submitting the report, provides
the teacher with a copy of the report, subject only to section 24 of the
Teaching Profession Act.
The teacher
recognizes the duty
to protest through proper channels
administrative policies and practices which the teacher cannot in
conscience accept; and further recognize that if administration by consent
fails, the administrator must adopt a position of authority.
The
teacher as an administrator provides opportunities for staff members to express
their opinions and to bring forth suggestions regarding the administration of
the school.
In relation to the profession
Teacher
acts in a manner, which maintains the honor and dignity of the profession.
The teacher
does not engage
in activities which
adversely affect the
quality of the
teacher's professional service.
The
teacher submits to the Association disputes arising from professional
relationships with other teachers that cannot be resolved by personal
discussion.
The teacher
makes representations on
behalf of the
Association or members
thereof only when authorized to do so.
The
teacher accepts that service to the Association is a professional
responsibility.
2.8. CODE OF ETHICS FOR EDUCATORS
IN KENYA
Public
Trust. A teacher’s position is of public trust and the authority and
responsibility vested in his or her office shall be exercised in the best
interest of the learners, institution and members of the public.
Fundamental
Rights and Freedoms. A teacher shall comply with the provisions of Chapter Four
of the Constitution on the Bill of Rights. Notwithstanding the generality of the
provisions in Sub-Clause above statement,
teacher shall not discriminate directly
or indirectly against
any person on any
ground including, race,
sex, pregnancy, marital
status, health status, ethnic
or social origin, color, age,
disability, religion, conscience,
belief, culture, dress, language or birth.
Nepotism
or Favoritism. Teacher shall not practice nepotism, favoritism, tribalism,
cronyism, religious bias or engage in corrupt or unethical practices.
Duty
to Protect Children. Teacher shall be entrusted with the duty of care of a
child, including a child with special needs and shall ensure the child is
protected from abuse, neglect, harmful
cultural practices, all forms of
violence, discrimination, in human treatment, corporal punishment and exposure
to hazardous or exploitative labor. Also A teacher shall not deny learning
materials and/or remedial teaching services to a learner on account of their
natural abilities.
Integrity.
a teacher shall carry out his or her
duties with honesty and impartiality and shall not allow family, social, political or other
relationships to influence his/her conduct or judgment. A teacher shall not use
or lend the prestige of his/her office to advance his or her private interest
or those of others. He or she shall not knowingly convey or permit others to
convey the impression that anyone is in a special position to influence him or her
and A teacher shall not misappropriate public funds.
Conduct
of Duties. A teacher’s assigned duties shall take precedence over all his/her
other activities. In the performance of these duties, the following standards
shall apply; Maintenance of professional competence; Patience, dignity, and
courtesy to all stakeholders with whom he or she deals with in an official capacity,
Prompt, efficient, lawful, reasonable and procedural fairness in the execution
of responsibilities, Non engagement in activities that amount to abuse of office,
Accuracy and honesty in representation of information to the public, non
engagement in wrongful conduct in furtherance of personal benefit, Prudent
management of public resources and Maintenance of proper official records.
Professionalism.
A teacher shall ensure that his/her private and public conduct upholds the
dignity and integrity of the teaching service, observe official working hours,
be punctual and meet deadlines, not be absent from duty without proper authorization
or reasonable cause and perform his/her duties in an efficient and competent
manner;
Teaching
service. A teacher shall actively and personally promote a culture in the
teaching service that aims at providing fast, friendly, responsive and
efficient service and shall be courteous to all persons in the provision of
such service, A teacher shall carry out his or her official duties in a manner
that inspires public confidence and integrity of his or her office;
Conflict
of Interest. A teacher shall avoid being in a position in which his/her personal
interest’s conflict with his or her duties. A teacher shall neither participate
in any tendering process where his/her personal or proprietary interests
conflict with his/her duties and shall not award tenders to self, spouse,
relatives, business associate nor be involved in bid-rigging.
Confidentiality.
A teacher shall
ensure that confidential
information or documents
entrusted to his or her care
are adequately protected from improper or inadvertent disclosure. A
teacher shall take all reasonable steps to ensure that public and Institutional
property in his or her custody, possession, or control is taken care of and is
in good condition, and A teacher shall
maintain political neutrality
at all times
and shall not
act in a manner
that may compromise or be
perceived to compromise his or her neutrality.
Improper
Enrichment. A teacher shall not use his/her office to improperly enrich himself
or others, also a Teacher not either
directly or through
family members, solicit or
accept any gifts,
gratuity, hospitality, free passages
or favors from any person
or anybody corporate
or unincorporated that might
reasonably be thought to
influence, or intended to influence, him/her in the performance of his or her
duties.
Donations.
A teacher involved in the receipt and administration of donations to an
Institution shall ensure that proper records are kept of the donations and that
the donations are used for the purposes for which they were given.
Professional
Advice. A teacher who has a duty to give advice shall give honest, accurate,
and impartial advice without fear or favor.
Misleading
information. A teacher shall not knowingly give false or misleading information
to members of the public or to any other teacher.
Evaluation
of Learners. A teacher shall evaluate learners honestly based on their performance,
A teacher shall
ensure that internal
and external examinations
are conducted fairly
and without cheating.
Sexual
Relations with learners. A teacher shall not either engage in any sexual
activity whatsoever with a learner, regardless of whether the learner consents
or make a request to, or exert pressure on a learner for sexual activity or
favor. A Teacher should facilitate
non-disclosure or cover-up of cases of sexual abuse against a learner.
Sexual Harassment. A Teacher shall not either sexually
harass a fellow employee or members of the public, also a teacher should not make
intentional or careless physical contact that is sexual in nature.
Relations
with Fellow Employees. A Teacher shall
treat his/her fellow employees and the public with dignity, courtesy and
respect, avoid behavior that is unbecoming, abusive, belittling or threatening
to his fellow employees or any member of the public.
Pornography.
A teacher shall ensure that his/her station of work is free of pornography and
pornographic material. A teacher shall not either supply pornographic materials
to a fellow employee, a learner or a member of the public or expose a learner
to pornography, sexual toys or assist a learner in obtaining access to the
same.
Prohibited
Drugs and Psychotropic Substances. A teacher shall not supply illicit drugs,
cigarettes, or alcohol to a learner, expose a learner to illicit drugs,
cigarettes and alcohol or assist a learner to access illicit drugs, cigarettes
and alcohol. Moreover, a Teacher shall ensure that his or her work place is
free from illicit drugs, cigarettes and alcohol;
Financial
Dealings and Private Affairs. A teacher shall live within his or her means and
avoid incurring any financial liability he or she cannot satisfy, not evade
taxes, not use or lend the prestige of his or her office to sanction or endorse
his/her own private activities or the private activities of any other person;
2.9. CODE OF ETHICS AND CONDUCT FOR
THE PUBLIC SERVICE IN TANZANIA
This
code has been made by the Minister of State, President’s Office Public Service
Management under the Authority of
Section 34 of the Public
Service Act, 2002 and
Regulations 65(1) of the
Public Service Regulations,
2003.In order for the Public Service to be efficient and respected, public
servants shall behave, conduct and observe the Code of Ethics and conduct as
stipulated herein below;
Pursuit
of excellence in service, Public Servants shall find it their responsibility to
provide excellent services. In so doing, they shall be knowledgeable of and
respect this Code of Ethics, be creative, innovative and continuously strive to
improve performance by enhancing knowledge and skills, Maintain personal
hygiene, dress in respectable attire in accordance with acceptable office
norms. Also a Teacher should Strive to promote team work by that is giving
instructions which are clear and undistorted, Avoiding the use of abusive and
rude language and giving due weight
and consideration to official
views submitted by fellow employees
and Subordinates.
Loyalty
to government. Public Servants shall be loyal to the duty constituted
Government of the day; Public Servants shall therefore implement policies and
lawful instructions given by their Ministers and other Government leaders.
Diligence.
Public Servants shall endeavor to perform their duties diligently by
maintaining the highest standards of discipline. They shall demonstrate their
sense of responsibility by ensuring that they; Use their skills, knowledge and
expertise to attain maximum result, Execute duties and assigned
responsibilities with maximum standards and within required time, Disengage
from any conduct which might impair work performance and are punctual in terms
of office hours at workplace and official engagement.
Impartiality.
Public Servants have the democratic right of being members of any political
party and can vote both for their political parties and in general elections,
Public Servants can participate in politics provided that when so doing they do
not do anything that will compromise or might be seen to compromise their
impartiality. Public Servants shall comply with political restrictions in
political activities and therefore shall not:-a) Conduct or engage in political
activities during official hours or at work premises; b) Provide services with
bias due to or against political affiliation; and c) Pass information or
documents availed through their official position to the service of their political
parties and Public servants have a right to communicate with their political
representatives provided that they:-a) Shall not use such influence to
intervene on matters affecting them which are in dispute between them and the Government; and b) Shall
not use
such influence for
furthering personal ends
which are not
part of the
Government policy.
Integrity.
Public servants shall exercise their authorized powers within specified
boundaries and they shall not use such powers for personal gain, to favor
friends or relatives or to undermine others. Public Servants shall safeguard
public funds and other public properties entrusted to them and shall ensure
that no damage, loss or misappropriation occurs to them due to negligence or
for the benefit of any individual or group. Public servants shall use public
resources for public use including, machines, office equipment, office
supplies, telephones, computers, copiers, utility services, buildings and other
property procured with government funds or donated to the Government and Unless
otherwise authorized, public servants shall use official time in an honest way
to fulfill official responsibilities and shall not use official time for their
private activities or leisure.
Accountability
to the public. Public Servants shall treat their clients and colleagues
courteously and shall pay extra attention when dealing with the more vulnerable
members of the society such as elderly, women, children, the poor, the sick,
people with disabilities and any other disadvantaged group. When public
servants are requested by members of the public to clarify or to provide
direction on issues arising from
laws, regulations and procedures, they
shall do so promptly, with clarity and without bias
and Public servants shall act while recognizing themselves as being the
servants of the public.
Respect
for the law. Public servants shall familiarize themselves with rules,
regulations, and procedures and appropriately abide by them. Public Servants
shall apply the prevailing laws, regulations and procedures when discharging
their duties and in the process identify gaps, which need to be rectified.
Public Servants shall not discriminate
or harass a
member of the
public or a fellow employee on grounds of sex, tribe, religion, political
affiliations, nationality, ethnicity, marital status or disability. Public
Servants shall discourage all forms of sexual relationships at the work place
and during working hours. Likewise, they will
avoid all types of conduct which
may constitute sexual
harassment which include engaging in, or containing; Pressure
for sexual activity or sexual favors with any person and Rape, sexual battery
and molestation or any form of sexual assault.
Proper
use of official information. Public
Servants shall not
disclose to unauthorized persons,
official information,
confidential or otherwise, which has been communicated
to them in
confidence, or received in confidence
from others without permission and shall, in that respect maintain
confidentiality of official information even after they have left the Public
Service. Public servants shall not distort or frustrate government policies and
plans by making unauthorized premature disclosures. Public Servants
shall not use
any official document
or information obtained
in the course
of discharging their duties for personal ends. And Public servants
shall route any
information they wish
to pass over
to the media
through the
Information,
communication and education officers or their superiors.
2.9.0. The following are Weakness
of code of conduct for Teachers in Tanzania.
Code
of conduct of Tanzania concern more with public civil servants rather than
teachers in specifics as stipulated on code of conduct of Australia.
There
is no peculiar professional board for teachers that have been stipulated in
code of conduct as compared to the rest of the world.
In
Tanzania code of conducts are created from top to bottom compared to other
countries such as
South
Africa whereby Teachers themselves through their professional body create code
of conduct for teachers.
Code
of conduct in Tanzania teachers does not show clearly criteria’s for
professionalism and professional development and maintenances.
Induction teachers
in Tanzania are
allowed to teach
while in other
country like USA
is strictly prohibited Induction
teacher to teach in both public and private institutions.
Teacher’s professionals
are not protected
by Code of
conduct for teacher
in Tanzania like other
countries such as United Kingdom and Canada.
In
Tanzania code of conduct for teachers are abide to the public services
regulations compared to
Other
countries whereby code of conduct for teachers are stipulated differently such
as in Kenya,
Botswana
and Canada.
The
content of code of conduct for teachers in Tanzania does not prohibit a teacher
to distribute pornographic materials to fellow employees, learners or public
compared to the code of conducts stipulated in Kenya.
The
content of codes of do not include the recent global changes and how to redress
them wherever arises.
The
code of conduct in Tanzania inspires in colleges during training but no further
indication of what to be done for its orientation when individual is employed.
From
the content analyze we deduce and argue that most of teachers codes of conduct
call for a Teacher to take responsibility towards the child, state, profession
and community at large. Most important we derive that Teacher
codes of conducts
are almost universal
in which the
minor disparities within
a due to differences in
environment, level of
science and technology
as far as
the cultural orientation
of the particular nation.
The professional bodies
mostly exists in
Developed nations wherein
in less developed country existence
of professional bodies
is myth thus are
attached as part of government
organ .On the other hand Teachers trade unions
partially takes professional body roles.
REFERENCES.
Campbell E. (2003).The Ethical Teacher:
Open University Press Maidenhead
·
Philadelphia.
Carr D. (2000). Professionalism and Ethics in
Teaching. Rout ledge. London.
Macfarlane B.
(2004).Teaching with Integrity: The Ethics of Higher Education
Practice
. RoutledgeFalmer, London.
Davis M. (1999). Ethics
and the University .Rout ledge, London
Ukpo, E. (2005) .Professionalization of Teachers in Nigeria: challenges and obstacles,
Paper
presented at the The 8th
UKFIET International Conference on
Education and Development: Learning and livelihood University of Oxford, Nigeria
Ssekamwa, J. C. & Lumumba, S. M. E. (2001) A history of education in East Africa.
Fountain Publishers. Kampala.
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