Code of ethics for teachers sets guidelines on private lessons, use of social media
Teachers who give private lessons to pupils who are in their class in a way that takes advantage of their professional relationship may be in breach of a revised code of ethics.
The new code also spells out that teachers need to keep a “professional distance” from their students and avoid inappropriate communication through social media such as Facebook and Twitter.
These are among the new guidelines outlined in the revised Teachers’ Code of Ethics and Practice that was launched this afternoon.
Education Minister Dolores Cristina said the code is the work of her ministry together with the Malta Union of Teachers and the Council for the Teaching Profession in Malta.
She said that one could not tolerate a situation where teachers made a business out of the students in their own classes, but there could be situations where parents insisted that their children go to private lessons with the same teacher they have at school. There could also be situations where pupils were only comfortable with their class teacher.
She said the code formalised what the majority of teachers already put into practice. This was the second revision of the code that was made to keep it up to date with new trends.
Adrian Camilleri, the president of the council, explained that the code was based on six key principles: Maintain trust in the profession, maintain a professional relationship with students, respect the uniqueness and diversity of students, collaborate with colleagues, parents, guardians and carers, act with honesty and integrity and keep their professional knowledge up to date.
Dr Camilleri said that if a teacher breached the code the council had the power to recommend to the minister what action to take. Action could include reprimand and censure.
Ms Cristina added that the council was working on drafting, for the first time, a code of ethics for learning support assistants and kindergarten assistants.
She said that she was currently in discussions with the MUT to explore ways of setting up structures to make schools safer to avoid instances when parents assault teachers. However, she cautioned, such incidents were very rare and one had to go about this sensitively as schools could not be locked up for parents.
Among other sections, the code lays down that teachers are to:
"Maintain professional boundaries whilst in school and out of school, avoid improper physical contact, avoid inappropriate communication via any form of media and avoid inappropriate relationships with students.
"The members of the teaching profession are duty bound and are ultimately responsible to maintain a professional distance;
"They are to refrain from taking advantage of professional relationships with
students for their own personal benefit, including by giving private lessons to students from the classes they teach or who are under their administrative responsibility, against payment, whether monetary or in kind;
"Teachers are expected to conduct pastoral interventions with students professionally, and behave in keeping with their unique position of trust and status as role models;
"Teachers are expected to follow behaviour management and safe schools policies and guidelines as directed by the relevant school, college and education authorities;
"They are expected to act appropriately towards students exercising care in their language, gestures and attitudes, ensuring that they do not act in such a manner that is embarrassing or disparaging and ensuring that they do not use abusive language or offensive names or make inappropriate remarks; and Act with a professional attitude and behaviour at all times."
The new code can be seen at
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M Camilleri
Dec 4th 2012, 07:52
When my son was young, he's now 29, he used to go to private lessons to a teacher that taught him at school. On one particular day the teacher was sick and did not attend school, he had the guts to phone us up to inform us that the private lesson was still going to be held. What could we have done, my son needed extra lessons for his A level.
j brincat
Dec 4th 2012, 07:28
This private lesson thing has become good business for some with garages teaming with students.
One wonders whether VAT receipts are issued.
(jb)
P. Scicluna
Dec 4th 2012, 07:11
Whilst agreeing with this new code of ethics, I would like to point out that a good number of those who give private lessons are not qualified teachers and do not work as teachers during the day. They have another profession but since they think that anyone can be a teacher, they decide to give private lessons to earn extra money, or should I say another salary?
Joe Fenech
Dec 3rd 2012, 23:38
Dolorosa Christiana, before you solve the illiteracy you have generated through the withdrawal of the Junior Lyceums, all will be superfluous.
Aldo Portelli
Dec 4th 2012, 08:32
Mr. Fenech I don't think illiteracy is coming from the fact that now we have colleges instead of Junior Lyceums. Its obviously a political comment without any sense in this discussion. The real problem is that some parents still do not see that need of educating their children. For some (and a very few some) school is an unnecessary punishment for the children. Yeh, as if.
Joe Fenech
Dec 4th 2012, 10:26
EVERYTHING we say is political. But political does not mean partisan.
The withdrawal of the JL system, has led to a dramatic drop in educational levels. Bright, hard-working kids are now having to go at the pace of lazy, illiterate kids who in form 3 still can't read. Teachers are having to adapt to the pace of the latter thus hindering the others. That is the tragic reality of Malta!
Patrick Pace
Dec 3rd 2012, 23:27
The issue here is really simple. How can a teacher justify the need for a struggling student to attend private lessons at his/her residence when the student is falling behind under the SAME teacher. Parents open your eyes, yes of course send your children for private lessons if you judge that they are required but I would never send them to the same teacher who teaches them the subject at school.
John Smith
Dec 3rd 2012, 23:06
It's good that there's a code of ethics for teachers....but how about a code of behavior for students?
audrey monreal
Dec 3rd 2012, 22:33
i see nothing wrong to communicate with your teacher. i am 20 and i don't go to school any more but!! the friendship that i had with few of my teacher when i see them i go and give them a big hug, and still talk to them on facebook. i personally think that if your teacher is down to earth and you have a good friendship you can learn more! i also know that there can be some advantage too!!
Ronnie Callus
Dec 3rd 2012, 21:07
What about the 'dress code'. It makes a lot of sense especially in summer time where one may slack in his / her clothing.
R Camilleri
Dec 3rd 2012, 20:35
Totally agree with you Mr. Gordon Farrugia. I have seen this personally one too many times. I have seen teachers acting like comedians in class and then following what was left out in class during after school "private lessons" to the lucky ones who can afford to pay. Well done on this minister!
Malcolm Seychell
Dec 3rd 2012, 20:31
Typical mentality of a communist state.... What is wrong if students communicate with their teachers on Facebook. Get to the real world communists. Facebook and social network is the present(not even the future) way of communication.
The result of this will only result in less professional teachers.
Christopher Dimech
Dec 3rd 2012, 22:07
You got that right my friend!!!
Martin Bezzina Wettinger
Dec 4th 2012, 06:19
The code of ethics is not prohibiting communicating through social media. It is demanding teachers to maintain professional boundaries. So as long as you take attention that ALL your posts and communications reflect your professional status I do not feel that you are breaking the code of ethics.
Franco Farrugia
Dec 4th 2012, 08:40
Yes, it is important that teachers are careful how they appear on Fb. To me, a seasoned teacher, it is imperative that teachers keep a low profile and keep their students out of their Fb 'friends'. Some of the things you see on Fb does not do honour to the teaching profession. And students need to be told to keep out of teachers' private lives! Nothing less; nothing more.
Franco Farrugia
Dec 4th 2012, 08:49
Of course, this does not preclude teachers from having specially-designated Fb pages where they can professionally interact with their students about their studies. I know for a fact that some things shown by teachers on Fb are downright unprofessional - to say the least.
A Said
Dec 3rd 2012, 20:19
I think that the same code of ethics should be applied to doctors, consultants, etc.
Christopher Dimech
Dec 3rd 2012, 20:07
An escalation of government control on education which has ruined education in the US and in the UK.
The MUT and Teaching Council are a very organized group are all in favor of these crazy things.
M cauchi
Dec 3rd 2012, 18:25
Private Lessons? when I used to go to private lessons we were max.3 students.. today it is a class of about 15. what's so private about this? it's a school class.. so what's the difference giving a lesson at school and giving a lesson after school? there must be one.
George Vella
Dec 3rd 2012, 20:24
Well for starters due to the informality to private lessons the respective students will have a more intimate contact with the respective teacher thus allowing a breach of the above stated code.
Mr leo attard
Dec 3rd 2012, 20:44
the difference is that the parents are legally obligated to send their children to school, on the other hand parents send their children to private lessons of their own free will. you dont like a private class of 15 students? then send him elsewhere or nowhere at all
G Schembri
Dec 3rd 2012, 23:01
I never sent my children, who attended government schools, to any private lessons during their primary and Junior Lyceum years, and they did very well. Private lessons are either for students whose parents cannot help them or for parents who want their children to place first or better than their neighbours. In my days private lessons used to have about 6-8 students.
Joe Fenech
Dec 3rd 2012, 23:41
It's a lucrative business and living proof that state schools are a failure! No one who's privately educated will need support lessons.
martin pisani
Dec 3rd 2012, 17:53
About time too, now how about doing the same to the doctors please....i find it so wrong that to get quicker or better treatment in hospital one must see the same doctor in his/her private clinic first!!!!!!!!!!
Nenu Cassar
Dec 3rd 2012, 17:08
Does the Code of Ethics requires teachers to give a fiscal receipt for tuition fees they give. As far as I know, and I have ample experience, many teachers hand pieces of paper to their students with the amounts they have to pay. On payment no receipts are forthcoming. I know of cases where teachers send for prospective students before each scholastic year urging them to attend their private class
P Bonnici
Dec 3rd 2012, 21:50
If you demand a receipt, you will be charged more for tax. In the end the student suffers and only well off students can afford private lessons.
N Zahra
Dec 3rd 2012, 16:57
What a breath of fresh air! Well done on this. More organizations should follow suit. Developed nations are built firstly on the ethical behaviour of its citizens, and secondly on the law - in that order. Nations without ethics are always rogue states with minimal prospects for the future development of their citizens. It pays us all to be ethical in our lives.
ANTHONY PAVIA
Dec 3rd 2012, 16:49
About time too!! Does the present administration expect us to stand up and applaud? All those teachers had a clear field day with so much undeclared income; and for students a dastardly practice that was practically forced on them. Now, after a run of 25 years, we will include them with some or other ethics code. Too late. Just how stupid do you make the Maltese citizen out to be?
Joe Felice-Pace
Dec 3rd 2012, 17:07
No, the giving of private lessons to one's students has not been going on for 25 years. It has been going on since I was at primary school, i.e. the early 1940's, and even before. What has increased since some 25-30 years is its spread.
Franco Farrugia
Dec 3rd 2012, 17:44
Mr Pavia, nobody is forcing you to send children, or go yourself, to private lessons. It's your decision, taken freely. Chip on the shoulder, anyone?
Gordon Farrugia
Dec 3rd 2012, 18:15
Franco its not exactly chip on the shoulder; not when you are a student with a teacher and this same teacher has quite a number of students from your same class going to this teacher's private lessons after-school. As a pupil you feel disadvantaged and feel urged to go as well particularly if you aren't faring that well. It is just unethical to give private lessons to the same students in class.
Mr leo attard
Dec 3rd 2012, 20:50
@gordon farugia -- why unethical? some students are just too slow to cope with the others. now the ministry should have special classes for these students with specially trained teachers. but we dont want streaming . result -- some students want extra help and if they want their class teacher to do so then it's their business!
Gordon Farrugia
Dec 3rd 2012, 22:11
Because not everyone can afford private lessons and having your classmates attending private lessons from the teacher who also happens to give lessons in class puts undue physiological pressure on these same students! Private lessons and exams are all the rage nowadays and its madness because it deprives students of their free time. Perhaps radical changes have to be done in the education system?
Franco Farrugia
Dec 4th 2012, 08:38
Students go to private lessons, mainly because during school-hours they play the fool in class and not pay attention - and then they go to the same teacher for private lessons. Anyway, with the way things are now in the educ. system, it's beyond me what importance end-of-year 'exam' grades have! I was a teacher for 25 yrs and I rarely, if ever, gave private lessons.
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