Time to update the Code of Ethics of Professional Teachers

[Lee]

 

Quote

 

IT's 2024. The education sector continues to evolve in the last decade. In 2013, Republic Act (RA) 10533, or the "K to 12 Law," was passed. One of the major changes in the education system under the law is the additional two years in high school known as the Senior High School program. Students staying for a total of 13 years in the formal basic education schools, including kindergarten, means that they are attaining or will have reached the legal age by the time they graduate from basic education. This also means that the age gap between teacher and student becomes closer.

This generation of education stakeholders composed of students, teachers and parents is also said to be digital, having increased access to information, cyberspace and social media platforms. The teachers' interaction with students has always been personal. But with technology and social media, this intense interaction has gone beyond the four walls of the classroom and past academics. That is why society has a great interest in how teachers behave and what attitudes they display to the public as part of the education system.

In November 2021, a male public schoolteacher went viral on TikTok for dancing suggestively, apparently showing his reaction when a handsome student passed by. Social media bashers were quick to accuse him of child abuse, immorality and unethical behavior.

Also in November 2019, a public schoolteacher trended on social media when she was forced to resign on national television after the network played a CCTV recording showing her sending a student out of the classroom as a form of disciplinary action.

Back in October 2023, the news media covered the story of a public schoolteacher who allegedly slapped a Grade 5 student who later died.

Several laws have been enacted governing special protection against child abuse under RA 7610 in 1992, protection against sexual harassment under RA 7877 in 1995, protection of data privacy of persons under RA 10173 in 2012 and creating safe spaces under RA 11313 in 2019, which all contain provisions specific to education setting.

But while these laws provide for prosecution of offenses and crimes committed in the academic setting, it is the Code of Ethics that provides for standards of behavior and attitudes that professional teachers need to adopt.

Teachers are not only called upon to be law-abiding citizens and avoid committing crimes, they are also called upon to follow high standards of professionalism and morality.

According to the Supreme Court in the controlling precedent on the matter of Jose Santos Jr. v NLRC in 1998, indeed, teachers must adhere to the exacting standards of morality and decency. There is no dichotomy of morality. A teacher, both in his official and personal conduct, must display exemplary behavior. He must freely and willingly accept restrictions on his conduct that might be viewed irksome by ordinary citizens. In other words, the personal behavior of teachers, in and outside the classroom, must be beyond reproach.

While some acts do not constitute a crime, this does not necessarily mean that they are ethical in the teaching profession.

For example, in the case of Briñas y Del Fierro v People of the Philippines in 2019, a female school director of a private educational institution who hurled vile insults at students was acquitted in a criminal case for child abuse because her conduct was done in the heat of anger provoked by student mischief, and thus, lacked the criminal intent to demean, debase and degrade the intrinsic worth of the child as a human being. But while the conduct of the school director did not constitute the crime of child abuse, conduct of a similar nature toward students has no place in the academe and certainly a just cause for termination of employment and even a revocation of the professional license to teach.

Teachers need to be mindful and sensitive to what is good attitude and behavior when dealing with students, colleagues and the public.

Students feel safe and happy in school environments where ethics is at the core of education services and that ethical practices are displayed by teachers.

Teachers have a reputable place in the conscience of society as they are entrusted with the noble task of educating the youth and enlightening the minds of people.

Hence, it's time to revisit, improve and update the Code of Ethics of Professional Teachers pursuant to Board of Teachers Resolution 435-97 issued way back in 1994 after RA 7836, or the "Teachers Professionalization Act," was enacted into law in the same year, also almost 30 years ago.

 

Time to update the Code of Ethics of Professional Teachers (msn.com)

[Mike J]

The OpEd author sites three incidents over a period of four years.  And one of those was for telling the student to leave the classroom as a form of discipline.  Maybe it is just me, but I am not seeing an epidemic of child abuse by teachers.   Better to save the righteous indignation for the "bad apples" in authority who, all too often, seem to abuse their authority or enrich themselves via corruption.   

[Freebie]

Time for Dep Ed to stop their stupid morality play and terminate single teachers who get buntis.

In a country with hundreds of thousands of unmarried mothers , this policy is and has always been nonsense.  Were in the 21st century, not the 15th.

[hk blues]

4 hours ago, Mike J said:

The OpEd author sites three incidents over a period of four years.  And one of those was for telling the student to leave the classroom as a form of discipline.  Maybe it is just me, but I am not seeing an epidemic of child abuse by teachers.   Better to save the righteous indignation for the "bad apples" in authority who, all too often, seem to abuse their authority or enrich themselves via corruption.   

Will never happen because all too often here, those making tge decisions are benefitting from the corruption.

[Gator]

1 hour ago, hk blues said:

Will never happen because all too often here, those making tge decisions are benefitting from the corruption.

I disagree. It could very well happen, they could update the Code of Ethics. All the politicians involved will pat themselves on the back and grab some headlines. They’ll say to international community how they are improving their educational system and probably get additional international aid as well. 

But will it change anything? Nope. Teachers will still accept “pasalobong” and give even the dumbest student a passing grade. They’ll still clock in and disappear for the rest of the day. Principals / admin will still skim from the budget. I could on and on, but the bottom line is rewriting the Code of Ethics won’t change the morality or ingrained corruption. It’ll only put a new coat paint on it. 

[hk blues]

1 hour ago, Gator said:

I disagree. It could very well happen, they could update the Code of Ethics. All the politicians involved will pat themselves on the back and grab some headlines. They’ll say to international community how they are improving their educational system and probably get additional international aid as well. 

But will it change anything? Nope. Teachers will still accept “pasalobong” and give even the dumbest student a passing grade. They’ll still clock in and disappear for the rest of the day. Principals / admin will still skim from the budget. I could on and on, but the bottom line is rewriting the Code of Ethics won’t change the morality or ingrained corruption. It’ll only put a new coat paint on it. 

 

1 hour ago, Gator said:

I disagree. It could very well happen, they could update the Code of Ethics. All the politicians involved will pat themselves on the back and grab some headlines. They’ll say to international community how they are improving their educational system and probably get additional international aid as well. 

But will it change anything? Nope. Teachers will still accept “pasalobong” and give even the dumbest student a passing grade. They’ll still clock in and disappear for the rest of the day. Principals / admin will still skim from the budget. I could on and on, but the bottom line is rewriting the Code of Ethics won’t change the morality or ingrained corruption. It’ll only put a new coat paint on it. 

Sorry - I wasn't clear in my post.  I didn't mean they won't update the code, I was replying to a previous post which said the focus should be on the bad apples but I doubt anyone in authority cares as they may well be the bad apples.

[Joey G]

On 1/13/2024 at 9:54 PM, Freebie said:

Time for Dep Ed to stop their stupid morality play and terminate single teachers who get buntis.

In a country with hundreds of thousands of unmarried mothers , this policy is and has always been nonsense. 

Not to mention that short of immaculate conception, there are hundreds of thousands of unmarried fathers what are willing participants. Well...  I'm guessing they are unmarried fathers :)

[hk blues]

9 hours ago, Joey G said:

Not to mention that short of immaculate conception, there are hundreds of thousands of unmarried fathers what are willing participants. Well...  I'm guessing they are unmarried fathers :)

Not married to the expecting mother at least - unmarried I'm not so sure! 

[usa32]

I met a girl on my last trip that was a teacher from samar. 

She was so concerned about being pregnant(unusual for a Filipina) because she said the teacher code of ethic would fire her for getting pregnant outside of marriage.

[Possum]

37 minutes ago, usa32 said:

I met a girl on my last trip that was a teacher from samar. 

She was so concerned about being pregnant(unusual for a Filipina) because she said the teacher code of ethic would fire her for getting pregnant outside of marriage.

Not much difference between the fundamentalist Muslims such as the Taliban and the fundamentalist Catholics here. Though the hypocrisy is more blatant here.