THE TEACHING PROFESSION

Santa Monica Institute of Technology

University Cabili Avenue, Iligan City
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Tel. No. 221-2678

MODULE The Code of Ethics for Professional Teachers

Discussion

Resolution No. 435

Series of 1997

Pursuant to the provisions of Paragraph €, Article II, of R.A. No. 7836, otherwise known as
the “Philippines Teachers Professionalization Act of 1994” and Paragraph (a), Section 6, P.D.
No. 223, as amended, the Board for Professional Teachers hereby adopts and promulgates
the following “Code of Ethics for Professional Teachers.”
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PREAMBLE
Teachers are duly licensed professionals who possess 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, standard, and values.

ARTICLE I
SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS
Section 1. The Philippine Constitution provides that all educational institutions shall offer
quality education for all Filipino citizens, a vision that requires professionally competent
teachers committed to is full realization. The provisions of this Code shall apply, therefore to all
teachers in all 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 art 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 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 respect 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.
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Section 3. In the interest of the State 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 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 service, 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
responsibilities.
Section 7. A teacher shall not use his position or official authority of influence to coerce
any other person to follow any political course of action.
Section 8. Every teacher shall enjoy academic freedom and shall have the privilege of
sharing the product of his researches and investigations, provided that, if the results are
inimical to the declared policies of the State, they shall be drawn to the proper authorities for
appropriate remedial action.

ARTICLE III
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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 services 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 help the school keep the people in 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 school’s work and accomplishments as well as its needs and problems.
Section 6. Every teacher is an 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 professional, with government officials, and with the people, individually
or collectively.
Section 8. A teacher possesses freedom to attend church and worship, as appropriate,
but shall not use his position and influence to proselyte others.

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ARTICLE IV
THE TEACHER AND THE PROFESSION
Section 1. Every teacher shall actively help 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 preparation for the career of teaching, and shall be at his
best at all times 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 for 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 a
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dignified means for earning a decent living.

ARTICLE V
THE TEACHER AND THE TEACHING COMMUNITY
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 for 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 and leave to his
successor 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 have not yet
been officially released, or remove records from the files without official 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. 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 any 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.

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ARTICLE VI
THE TEACHER AND HIGHER AUTHORITIES IN THE PHILIPPINES
Section 1. A 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 professional
feeling or private opinion and shall faithfully carry them out.
Section 2. A teacher shall not make any false accusation 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 reforms are advocated but
are opposed by the immediate superior, in which case the teachers shall appeal directly to
the appropriate higher authority.
Section 4. A teacher, individually or as part of a group, has a right to seek redress
against injustice and discrimination and, to the extent possible, shall raise his grievances
within democratic processes. In doing so, he shall avoid jeopardizing the interest and welfare
of learners whose right to learn must be respected.
Section 5. A teacher has a right to invoke the principle that appointments, promotions,
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and transfers of teachers are made only on the basis of merit and need 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 the employment terms and conditions.

ARTICLE VII
SCHOOL OFFICIALS, TEACHER AND OTHER PERSONNEL
Section 1. 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 direction.
Section 2. School official, 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 official shall encourage and attend to 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
and training programs.
Section 4. No school official shall dismiss or recommend for dismissal a teacher or other
subordinates except for cause.
Section 5. School authorities concerned 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, and,
provided, further that they are duly registered and licensed professional teachers.

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ARTICLE VIII
THE TEACHER AND LEARNERS
Section 1. A teacher has the right and duly to determine the academic marks and the
promotion of learners in the subjects they handle. Such determination shall be in accordance
with generally accepted producers of evaluation and measurement. In case of any
complaint, teachers concerned shall immediately take appropriate action, observing the
process.
Section 2. A teacher shall recognize that the interest and welfare of learners are his first
and foremost concern, and shall handle each learner justly and impartially.
Section 3. Under no circumstance shall a teacher be prejudiced nor discriminatory
against any learner.
Section 4. A teacher shall not accept favors or gift from learners, their parents or other
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 than what is authorized for such service.
Section 6. A teacher shall base the evaluation of the learner’s work on merit and qualify
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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
manifestations of poor scholarship.
Section 9. A teacher shall insure that conditions contributive 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. A teacher shall establish and maintain cordial relations with parents, and
shall conduct himself to merit their confidence and respect.
Section 2. A teacher shall inform parents, through proper authorities, of the progress or
deficiencies of learners 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 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 a right to engage, directly or indirectly, in legitimate income
generation, provided that it does not relate to or adversely affect his work.
Section 2. A teacher shall maintain a good reputation with respect to financial matters
such as in the settlement of his just debts, loans and other financial affairs.
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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 that such shall
be in accordance with existing regulations.

ARTICLE XI
THE TEACHER AS A PERSON
Section 1. A teacher shall live with dignity in all places at all times.
Section 2. A teacher shall place premium upon self-respect and self-discipline as the
principle of personal behavior in all relationship with others and in all situations.
Section 3. A teacher shall maintain at all times a dignified personality which could serve
as model worthy of emulation by learners, peers, and others.
Section 4. A teacher shall always recognize the Almighty God or Being as guide of his
own destiny and of the destinies of men and the nations.
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ARTICLE XII
DISCIPLINARY ACTION
Section 1. Any violation of any provision of his Code shall be sufficient ground for the
imposition against the erring teacher of disciplinary action consisting of revocation of his
Certificate of Registration and License as Professional Teacher, suspension from the practice
of the teaching profession, 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. No. 7836.

ARTICLE XIII
EFFECTIVITY
Section 1. This Code shall be approved by the Professional Regulation Commission and
shall take effect sixty (60) days following its publication in the official Gazette or any
newspaper of general circulation, whichever is earlier.

 Bilbao, Purita P., Corpuz, Brenda B., Llagas, Avelina T., Salandanan, Gloria
G.(2012). The Teaching Profession. Quezon City: Lorimar Publishing Inc.

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