Code of Ethics

for
Professional Teachers
Reporters:
Andrew Gruspe
Desiree Jherbie Khate Natividad
 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, 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 of it’s 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 “teacher” 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

carryout 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
 Article II: The Teacher and The State
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 facial 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 for 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.
 Article III: The Teacher and The Community

Section 5. Every teacher shall help the school keep the people in the community informed
about the school’s 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 posses 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
 Article IV: A Teacher and the Profession

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 descent
living.
 Article V: The Teachers and the Profession
Section 1. Teacher 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, teacher 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.
 Article V: The Teachers and the Profession
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 the files without permission.
Section 5. It shall be the responsibility of every teacher to seek correctives for what he
may appear to be an unprofessional and unethical conduct of any associates. 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 duties 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..
 Article VI: The Teacher and Higher Authorities
in the Profession
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 whose 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 enlighten 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
 Article VII: School Officials, Teachers and Other Personnel
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, 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, of
serving due process.

Section 2. A teacher shall recognize that the

interest and welfare of learners are of first and
foremost concerns, and shall deal justifiably and
impartially with each of them
 Article VIII – The Teachers and Learners

Section 3. Under no circumstance shall a teacher be prejudiced nor discriminated

against by the 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 learner’s work only in
merit and quality of academic performance
 Article VIII – The Teachers and Learners
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 to the maximum

development of learners are adequate, and shall extend needed assistance in
preventing or solving learner’s problems and difficulties.
 Article IX: The Teacher 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 learners
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 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 principles
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:
Section 1. Any violation of any provisions of this code shall be
sufficient ground for the imposition against the erring teacher
Section 1. Any violation
of the of consisting
disciplinary action any provisions
of revocation of of
his this code shall be
sufficient ground for the imposition against the erring teacher of the
Certification of Registration and License as a Professional
Teacher, suspension from the practice of teaching profession,
disciplinary action
reprimand consisting ofhisrevocation
or cancellation of temporary/specialof his Certification of
permit
under causes specified in Sec. 23. Article HI or R.A. No. 7836.
Registration and License as a Professional Teacher, suspension from
and under Rule 31. Article VIII. of the Rules and Regulations
the practice ofImplementing
teachingR.A. profession,
7836. reprimand or cancellation of his
temporary/special permit under causes specified in Sec. 23. Article HI
or R.A. No. 7836. and under Rule 31. Article VIII. of the Rules and
Regulations Implementing R.A. 7836.
 Article XII: Effectivity

Section 1. This Code shall take effect upon

approval by the Professional Regulation
Commission and after sixty (60) days following
it’s publication in the official Gazette or any
newspaper of general circulation, whichever is
earlier.