Teacher codes of conduct

A code of conduct is a set of written guidelines, produced by public authorities or professional organizations, which details the set of recognized ethical norms (or values) and professional standards of conduct to which all members of a profession must adhere.
In particular, such codes aim to enhance the commitments, dedications, and efficiency of service of members of the teaching profession, and to provide self-disciplinary guidelines by establishing norms of professional conduct.  
Codes are being developed in an increasing number of countries (view map) either by an autonomous body, as in Hong Kong, or by teacher organizations themselves, as in the province of Ontario in Canada. Research has shown that teacher codes can be an effective instrument for promoting ethics in education. However, their implementation sometimes proves difficult due to – among other variables – limited access, unclear content, and inadequate teacher training, as shown in IIEP’s research in South Asia (access publication).
Consult examples of codes taken from around 76 different countries worldwide, by clicking on the map below:
 

To help countries in the design and implementation of teacher codes, IIEP has developed Guidelines, describing every step involved in the development of a code:

  1. Defining a code of conduct
  2. Formulating the content of the code
  3. Developing the code
  4. Adopting the code
  5. Disseminating and promoting the code
  6. Implementing the code effectively
  7. Reporting and sanctioning misconduct
  8. Reviewing the code and evaluating its impact

Access more resources on IIEP's online toolkit on teacher codes.