Code of Ethics for

Professional

Teachers

Reported by: Tetchie D. Gonzales

 Code of Ethics for Professional Teachers

Pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (e). Article 11, of R. A.. No. 7836.
otherwise known as the Philippines 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, 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 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 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.
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 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 ensure 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 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.
Section4. 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 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, 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.
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 PROFESSIONS
Section 1. A 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..
Section 4. A 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. A 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.
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.
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.
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 TEACHERS 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
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 XI – THE TEACHER AS A PERSON

Section 1. A teacher shall live with dignity at all times in all places at all
times.
Section 2. A teacher shall place premium upon self-discipline as the
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 – DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS

Section 1. Any violation of any provisions 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, 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 XIII – 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.
“Better than a thousand days of
diligent study is one day with a great
teacher"
               -Japanese proverb

Thank you for listening…