Pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (e),
Article 11, of R.A. No. 7836, otherwise known as the Philippine Teachers
Professionalization Act of 1994 and paragraph (a), section 6, P.D. No. 223, as
amended, the Board for Professional Teachers hereby adopt the Code of Ethics
for Professional Teachers.
Preamble
Teachers are duly licensed professionals who
possesses dignity and reputation with high moral values as well as technical
and professional competence in the practice of their noble profession, and they
strictly adhere to, observe, and practice this set of ethical and moral
principles, standards, and values.
Article I: Scope and Limitations
Section 1. The Philippine
Constitution provides that all educational institution shall offer quality education
for all competent teachers. Committed to its full realization, the provision of
this Code shall apply, therefore, to all teachers in schools in the
Philippines.
Section 2. This Code covers all
public and private school teachers in all educational institutions at the
preschool, primary, elementary, and secondary levels whether academic,
vocational, special, technical, or non-formal. The term teachers shall include
industrial arts or vocational teachers and all other persons performing
supervisory and /or administrative functions in all school at the aforesaid
levels, whether on full time or part-time basis.
Article II: The Teacher and the State
Section 1. The schools are the
nurseries of the future citizens of the state; each teacher is a trustee of the
cultural and educational heritage of the nation and is under obligation to
transmit to learners such heritage as well as to elevate national morality,
promote national pride, cultivate love of country, instill allegiance to the
constitution and for all duly constituted authorities, and promote obedience to
the laws of the state.
Section 2. Every teacher or
school official shall actively help carry out the declared policies of the
state, and shall take an oath to this effect.
Section 3. In the interest of
the State and of the Filipino people as much as of his own, every teacher shall
be physically, mentally and morally fit.
Section 4. Every teacher shall
possess and actualize a full commitment and devotion to duty. Section 5. A
teacher shall not engage in the promotion of any political, religious, or other
partisan interest, and shall not, directly or indirectly, solicit, require,
collect, or receive any money or service or other valuable material from any
person or entity for such purposes.
Section 6. Every teacher shall
vote and shall exercise all other constitutional rights and responsibility.
Section 7. A teacher shall not
use his position or official authority or influence to coerce any other person
to follow any political course of action.
Section 8. Every teacher shall
enjoy academic freedom and shall have privilege of expounding the product of
his researches and investigations; provided that, if the results are inimical
to the declared policies of the State, they shall be brought to the proper
authorities for appropriate remedial action.
Article III: The Teacher and the
Community
Section 1. A teacher is a
facilitator of learning and of the development of the youth; he shall,
therefore, render the best service by providing an environment conducive to
such learning and growth.
Section 2. Every teacher shall
provide leadership and initiative to actively participate in community
movements for moral, social, educational, economic and civic betterment.
Section 3. Every teacher shall
merit reasonable social recognition for which purpose he shall behave with
honor and dignity at all times and refrain from such activities as gambling,
smoking, drunkenness, and other excesses, much less illicit relations.
Section 4. Every teacher shall
live for and with the community and shall, therefore, study and understand
local customs and traditions in order to have sympathetic attitude, therefore,
refrain from disparaging the community.
Section 5. Every teacher shall
help the school keep the people in the community informed about the schools
work and accomplishments as well as its needs and problems.
Section 6. Every teacher is
intellectual leader in the community, especially in the barangay, and shall
welcome the opportunity to provide such leadership when needed, to extend
counseling services, as appropriate, and to actively be involved in matters
affecting the welfare of the people.
Section 7. Every teacher shall
maintain harmonious and pleasant personal and official relations with other
professionals, with government officials, and with the people, individually or
collectively.
Section 8. A teacher possess
freedom to attend church and worships as appropriate, but shall not use his
positions and influence to proselyte others.
Article IV: A Teacher and the Profession
Section 1. Every teacher shall
actively insure that teaching is the noblest profession, and shall manifest
genuine enthusiasm and pride in teaching as a noble calling.
Section 2. Every teacher shall
uphold the highest possible standards of quality education, shall make the best
preparations for the career of teaching, and shall be at his best at all times
and in the practice of his profession.
Section 3. Every teacher shall
participate in the Continuing Professional Education (CPE) program of the
Professional Regulation Commission, and shall pursue such other studies as will
improve his efficiency, enhance the prestige of the profession, and strengthen
his competence, virtues, and productivity in order to be nationally and
internationally competitive.
Section 4. Every teacher shall
help, if duly authorized, to seek support from the school, but shall not make
improper misrepresentations through personal advertisements and other
questionable means.
Section 5. Every teacher shall
use the teaching profession in a manner that makes it dignified means for earning
a decent living.
Article V: The Teachers and the
Profession
Section 1. Teachers shall, at
all times, be imbued with the spirit of professional loyalty, mutual
confidence, and faith in one another, self-sacrifice for the common good, and
full cooperation with colleagues. When the best interest of the learners, the
school, or the profession is at stake in any controversy, teachers shall
support one another.
Section 2. A teacher is not
entitled to claim credit or work not of his own, and shall give due credit for
the work of others which he may use.
Section 3. Before leaving his
position, a teacher shall organize for whoever assumes the position such
records and other data as are necessary to carry on the work.
Section 4. A teacher shall hold
inviolate all confidential information concerning associates and the school,
and shall not divulge to anyone documents which has not been officially
released, or remove records from files without permission.
Section 5. It shall be the
responsibility of every teacher to seek correctives for what may appear to be
an unprofessional and unethical conduct of any associate. However, this may be
done only if there is incontrovertible evidence for such conduct.
Section 6. A teacher may submit
to the proper authorities any justifiable criticism against an associate,
preferably in writing, without violating the right of the individual concerned.
Section 7. A teacher may apply
for a vacant position for which he is qualified; provided that he respects the
system of selection on the basis of merit and competence; provided, further,
that all qualified candidates are given the opportunity to be considered.
Article VI: The Teacher and Higher
Authorities in the Profession
Section 1. Every teacher shall
make it his duty to make an honest effort to understand and support the
legitimate policies of the school and the administration regardless of personal
feeling or private opinion and shall faithfully carry them out.
Section 2. A teacher shall not
make any false accusations or charges against superiors, especially under
anonymity. However, if there are valid charges, he should present such under
oath to competent authority.
Section 3. A teacher shall
transact all official business through channels except when special conditions
warrant a different procedure, such as when special conditions are advocated
but are opposed by immediate superiors, in which case, the teacher shall appeal
directly to the appropriate higher authority.
Section 4. Every teacher,
individually or as part of a group, has a right to seek redress against
injustice to the administration and to extent possible, shall raise grievances
within acceptable democratic possesses. In doing so, they shall avoid
jeopardizing the interest and the welfare of learners who‘s right to learn must
be respected.
Section 5. Every teacher has a
right to invoke the principle that appointments, promotions, and transfer of
teachers are made only on the basis of merit and needed in the interest of the
service.
Section 6. A teacher who
accepts a position assumes a contractual obligation to live up to his contract,
assuming full knowledge of employment terms and conditions.
Article VII: School Officials,
Teachers, and Other Personnel
Section 1. All school officials
shall at all times show professional courtesy, helpfulness and sympathy towards
teachers and other personnel, such practices being standards of effective
school supervision, dignified administration, responsible leadership and
enlightened directions.
Section 2. School officials,
teachers, and other school personnel shall consider it their cooperative
responsibility to formulate policies or introduce important changes in the
system at all levels.
Section 3. School officials
shall encourage and attend the professional growth of all teachers under them
such as recommending them for promotion, giving them due recognition for
meritorious performance, and allowing them to participate in conferences in
training programs.
Section 4. No school officials
shall dismiss or recommend for dismissal a teacher or other subordinates except
for cause.
Section 5. School authorities
concern shall ensure that public school teachers are employed in accordance
with pertinent civil service rules, and private school teachers are issued
contracts specifying the terms and conditions of their work; provided that they
are given, if qualified, subsequent permanent tenure, in accordance with
existing laws.
Article VIII: The Teachers and
Learners
Section 1. A teacher has a
right and duty to determine the academic marks and the promotions of learners
in the subject or grades he handles, provided that such determination shall be
in accordance with generally accepted procedures of evaluation and measurement.
In case of any complaint, teachers concerned shall immediately take appropriate
actions, observing due process.
Section 2. A teacher shall
recognize that the interest and welfare of learners are of first and foremost
concern, and shall deal justifiably and impartially with each of them.
Section 3. Under no
circumstance shall a teacher be prejudiced or discriminate against a learner.
Section 4. A teacher shall not accept favors or gifts from learners, their
parents or others in their behalf in exchange for requested concessions,
especially if undeserved.
Section 5. A teacher shall not
accept, directly or indirectly, any remuneration from tutorials other what is
authorized for such service.
Section 6. A teacher shall base
the evaluation of the learners work only in merit and quality of academic
performance.
Section 7. In a situation where
mutual attraction and subsequent love develop between teacher and learner, the
teacher shall exercise utmost professional discretion to avoid scandal, gossip
and preferential treatment of the learner.
Section 8. A teacher shall not
inflict corporal punishment on offending learners nor make deductions from
their scholastic ratings as a punishment for acts which are clearly not
manifestation of poor scholarship.
Section 9. A teacher shall ensure
that conditions contribute Toth maximum development of learners are adequate,
and shall extend needed assistance in preventing or solving learners problems
and difficulties.
Article IX: The Teachers and Parents
Section 1. Every teacher shall
establish and maintain cordial relations with parents, and shall conduct
himself to merit their confidence and respect.
Section 2. Every teacher shall
inform parents, through proper authorities, of the progress and deficiencies of
learner under him, exercising utmost candor and tact in pointing out the
learner's deficiencies and in seeking parent‘s cooperation for the proper
guidance and improvement of the learners.
Section 3. A teacher shall hear
parent‘s complaints with sympathy and understanding, and shall discourage
unfair criticism.
Article X: The Teacher and Business
Section 1. A teacher has the right
to engage, directly or indirectly, in legitimate income generation; provided
that it does not relate to or adversely affect his work as a teacher.
Section 2. A teacher shall
maintain a good reputation with respect to the financial matters such as in the
settlement of his debts and loans in arranging satisfactorily his private
financial affairs.
Section 3. No teacher shall
act, directly or indirectly, as agent of, or be financially interested in, any
commercial venture which furnish textbooks and other school commodities in the
purchase and disposal of which he can exercise official influence, except only
when his assignment is inherently, related to such purchase and disposal;
provided they shall be in accordance with the existing regulations; provided,
further, that members of duly recognized teachers cooperatives may participate
in the distribution and sale of such commodities.
Article XI: The Teacher as a Person
Section 1. A teacher is, above
all, a human being endowed with life for which it is the highest obligation to
live with dignity at all times whether in school, in the home, or elsewhere.
Section 2. A teacher shall place
premium upon self-discipline as the primary principle of personal behavior in
all relationships with others and in all situations.
Section 3. A teacher shall
maintain at all times a dignified personality which could serve as a model
worthy of emulation by learners, peers and all others.
Section 4. A teacher shall
always recognize the Almighty God as guide of his own destiny and of the
destinies of men and nations.
Article XII: 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 Licensees 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.
Article XIII: 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.