Code of EthicsCode of Ethicsofof

Professional TeachersProfessional Teachers

Teachers are duly Teachers are duly licensed professionals licensed professionals who posses dignity and who posses dignity and reputation with high reputation with high moral values as well as moral values as well as technical and technical and professional professional competence.competence.

1. The Teacher and the State1. The Teacher and the State

• A Trustee of the cultural and educational A Trustee of the cultural and educational heritage of the nation.heritage of the nation.

• Elevate national morality, promote national Elevate national morality, promote national pride, cultivate love of country.pride, cultivate love of country.

• Actively help carry out the declared policies of Actively help carry out the declared policies of the state.the state.

• Physically, mentally and morally fit.Physically, mentally and morally fit.

• Posses and actualize full commitment and Posses and actualize full commitment and devotion to duty.devotion to duty.

• Shall not engage in the promotion of any Shall not engage in the promotion of any political, religious, or other partisan interest.political, religious, or other partisan interest.

• Shall vote and shall exercise all other Shall vote and shall exercise all other constitutional rights and responsibilities.constitutional rights and responsibilities.

• Shall enjoy academic freedom.Shall enjoy academic freedom.

2. The Teacher and the 2. The Teacher and the CommunityCommunity

Shall render the best servicesShall render the best services

Provide leadership and initiative to actively Provide leadership and initiative to actively participate in community movements.participate in community movements.

Behave with honor and dignity at all times Behave with honor and dignity at all times and refrain from gambling, smoking, and refrain from gambling, smoking, drunkenness and illicit relations.drunkenness and illicit relations.

Study and understand local customs and Study and understand local customs and traditions.traditions.

Inform the community about the schools Inform the community about the schools work, accomplishments, its needs and work, accomplishments, its needs and problems.problems.

Provide leadership in community when Provide leadership in community when needed; extend counseling services.needed; extend counseling services.

Posses freedom to attend church and Posses freedom to attend church and worship.worship.

3. The Teacher and the 3. The Teacher and the ProfessionProfession

Ensure that teaching is the noblest profession.Ensure that teaching is the noblest profession.

Uphold the highest possible standards of quality Uphold the highest possible standards of quality education.education.

Participate in the continuing Professional Participate in the continuing Professional Education program.Education program.

Help if duly authorized to seek support for the Help if duly authorized to seek support for the schoolschool

Use teaching profession in a manner that makes Use teaching profession in a manner that makes it a dignified means for earning a decent living. it a dignified means for earning a decent living.

4. The Teacher and the 4. The Teacher and the Teaching CommunityTeaching Community

Be imbued with the spirit of professional loyalty, Be imbued with the spirit of professional loyalty, mutual confidence and faith in one another, self-mutual confidence and faith in one another, self-sacrifice for the common good and full sacrifice for the common good and full cooperation with colleagues.cooperation with colleagues.Not to claim for work not of his own and give due Not to claim for work not of his own and give due credit for the work of others which he may use.credit for the work of others which he may use.Organize and leave to his successor such Organize and leave to his successor such records and other data as are necessary to carry records and other data as are necessary to carry on the work.on the work.Hold inviolate all confidential information Hold inviolate all confidential information concerning associates and the school.concerning associates and the school.

May seek correctives for what may appear to be May seek correctives for what may appear to be on unprofessional and unethical conduct of any on unprofessional and unethical conduct of any associate.associate.

May submit to the proper authorities any May submit to the proper authorities any justifiable criticism against an associate justifiable criticism against an associate preferably in writing, without violating any right of preferably in writing, without violating any right of the individual concerned.the individual concerned.

May apply for a vacant position for which he is May apply for a vacant position for which he is qualified, provided that he respects the system qualified, provided that he respects the system of selection on the basis of merit and of selection on the basis of merit and competence.competence.

5. The Teacher and Higher 5. The Teacher and Higher Authorities in the Authorities in the PhilippinesPhilippines

Make an honest effort to understand and Make an honest effort to understand and support the legitimate policies of the support the legitimate policies of the school and the administration.school and the administration.

Make no false accusation or charges Make no false accusation or charges against superiors, especially under against superiors, especially under anonymity.anonymity.

Transact all official business through Transact all official business through channels.channels.

Seek redress against injustice and Seek redress against injustice and discrimination and raise his grievances discrimination and raise his grievances within democratic processes.within democratic processes.

Invoke the Principle that appointments, Invoke the Principle that appointments, promotions, and transfer of teachers are promotions, and transfer of teachers are made only on the basis of merit and need made only on the basis of merit and need in the interest of the service.in the interest of the service.

Live up to his contractual obligation – Live up to his contractual obligation – assuming full knowledge of the assuming full knowledge of the employment terms and conditions.employment terms and conditions.

6. School Officials, Teachers 6. School Officials, Teachers and Other Personneland Other Personnel

School officials show professional School officials show professional courtesy, helpfulness and sympathy courtesy, helpfulness and sympathy towards teachers and other personnel.towards teachers and other personnel.

Formulate policies or introduce important Formulate policies or introduce important changes in system at all levels.changes in system at all levels.

Encourage and attend to the professional Encourage and attend to the professional growth of all teachers.growth of all teachers.

Shall not dismiss or recommend for Shall not dismiss or recommend for dismissal a teacher or other subordinates dismissal a teacher or other subordinates except for a cause.except for a cause.

Ensure that public school teachers are Ensure that public school teachers are employed in accordance with pertinent employed in accordance with pertinent civil service rules.civil service rules.

7. The Teacher and Learners7. The Teacher and LearnersHas the right and duty to determine the Has the right and duty to determine the academic marks and promotion of learners in academic marks and promotion of learners in the subjects they handle.the subjects they handle.Recognize that the interest and welfare of Recognize that the interest and welfare of learners are his first and foremost concern, and learners are his first and foremost concern, and handle each learner justly and impartially.handle each learner justly and impartially.Shall not be prejudiced nor discriminate any Shall not be prejudiced nor discriminate any learner.learner.Shall not accept favors or gifts from learners, Shall not accept favors or gifts from learners, parents and others in exchange for requested parents and others in exchange for requested concessions.concessions.

Shall not accept, directly or indirectly, any Shall not accept, directly or indirectly, any remuneration from tutorials.remuneration from tutorials.Base evaluation of the learner’s work on merit Base evaluation of the learner’s work on merit and quality of academic performance.and quality of academic performance.Exercise utmost discretion to avoid scandal, Exercise utmost discretion to avoid scandal, gossip and preferential treatment of the learner.gossip and preferential treatment of the learner.Shall not inflict corporal punishment on offending Shall not inflict corporal punishment on offending learners nor make deductions from their learners nor make deductions from their scholastic ratings.scholastic ratings.Insure that conditions contributive to the Insure that conditions contributive to the maximum development of learners are maximum development of learners are adequate. adequate.

8. The Teacher and Parents8. The Teacher and Parents

Establish and maintain cordial relations Establish and maintain cordial relations with parents.with parents.

Inform parents, through proper authorities Inform parents, through proper authorities of the progress or deficiencies of learners of the progress or deficiencies of learners under him.under him.

Hear parents’ complaint with sympathy Hear parents’ complaint with sympathy and understanding.and understanding.

9. The Teacher and Business9. The Teacher and Business

Has a right to engage, directly or indirectly, Has a right to engage, directly or indirectly, in legitimate income generation.in legitimate income generation.

Maintain a good reputation with respect to Maintain a good reputation with respect to financial matters.financial matters.

Not to act, directly or indirectly, as agent of Not to act, directly or indirectly, as agent of or be financially interested in any or be financially interested in any commercial venture. commercial venture.

10. The Teacher as a Person10. The Teacher as a Person

Live with dignity in all places at all times.Live with dignity in all places at all times.

Place premium upon self-respect and self-Place premium upon self-respect and self-discipline.discipline.

Maintain at all times a dignified Maintain at all times a dignified personality.personality.

Recognize the Almighty God or Being as Recognize the Almighty God or Being as guide of his own destiny and of the guide of his own destiny and of the destinies of men and nations. destinies of men and nations.

11. Disciplinary Actions11. Disciplinary Actions

Section 1. Any violation of any provision of this code shall be sufficient ground for the imposition against the erring teacher of the disciplinary action consisting of revocation of his Certification of Registration and License as a Professional Teacher, suspension from the practice of teaching profession, or reprimand or cancellation of his temporary/special permit under causes specified in Sec. 23, Article III or R.A. No. 7836, and under Rule 31, Article VIII, of the Rules and Regulations Implementing R.A. 7836.

12. 12. Effectivity

Section 1. This Code shall take effect upon approval by the Professional Regulation Commission and after sixty (60) days following its publication in the Official Gazette or any newspaper of general circulation, whichever is earlier.