Ethics Codes Will be Launched

By the order of the Minister of Education and Science of Georgia, Dimitri Shashkini, ethics codes of teachers’, school principals’ and schoolchildren will come into force from the new academic year in all public and private schools.  According to MES, great attention was paid on the problems existing at schools during the development of these codes. Relations between teachers, schoolchildren, school principals, resource officers and parents are introduced in details in the codes. Experts think this will support the effective education environment at schools.

Gia Mamulashvili, Director of National Center for Teacher Professional Development: “As some problems in discipline, dress code or relations really exit at schools, developing and functioning of this document is necessary. Ethics code is designed to develop civilized relations between teachers, schoolchildren, school principals, resource officers and parents in order to create the relevant educational environment at schools. Ethics codes operate in the whole world, even in the countries where such problems almost do not exist. Workshops will be held with teachers and school principals as well as the schoolchildren”.

What does schoolchildren’s ethics code envisage?

This code of ethics concerns Georgian as well as foreign schoolchildren and the schoolchildren without citizenship. According to the code, schoolchildren should have respectful relations with teachers, schoolchildren, and other employees of the school and have to follow their lawful directions. Violence, libel or cynic announcements are forbidden. They have to respect opinions of other people and their academic works.

Leaving the lesson without teacher’s permission is also prohibited.  Schoolchildren should care for their own, other’s or the school’s property.

According to the ethics code, the schoolchildren should wear the appropriate clothes and jewelry. They have to come to school and attend the lessons or other educational events of the school in time.

The most important is that the list of prohibited things is included in the code. These things are: tobacco, all kinds of weapon or the sharp things that could be used as the knives, cigarette lighter or matches, alcoholic drinks, technical possibilities that could prevent the education process, valuable things or much money, some games, things that reflect indecency, narcotics, poison or explosive substance, also psychotropic drugs without doctor’s permission.

What does teachers’ and school principals’ ethics code envisage?

Both of these codes introduce the rules of professional ethics for teachers that evaluate the level of their professional competence. They should follow the code in relations with schoolchildren, parents, teachers and other employees of school. The code concerns Georgian, as well as foreign teachers and principals and the teachers and principals without citizenship.

Teachers and school principals are responsible for objective and fair work. They should support the development of patriotic and democratic values among the schoolchildren and show the example of fairness, respect, human right, healthy way of life and environment protection.

They are not allowed to abuse physically or morally the schoolchildren or hold psychological pressure on the children. They should be calm in the conflict situations, listen to the opinions and make fair and objective decisions. They should care for the schoolchildren’s health, safety and property protection during the education process.

Teachers as well as the school principals should create the conditions for the schoolchildren to express their opinions and ideas freely. They are not allowed to use schoolchildren’s physical and intellectual labor for their personal interests. They have to distribute attention equally to all schoolchildren regardless gender, race, language, religion, ethnicity or property conditions. They should care for receiving the high quality knowledge regardless the schoolchildren with special needs or disabled children. They should be also punctual, follow the ethic norms and talk in the common language with the students to understarnd everything.

One more innovation is that the teachers are not allowed to teach the students as the private tutors,   besides occasions considered by the legislation. Religious or political agitation is also forbidden.

Articles that envisage demands for teachers as well as the principals are included in the code. For example: teacher should hold the position of advisor to the students in order to cross the difficulties of the educational process. If the student wishes, teacher should help to solve the personal problem. Teacher should meet the parent individually if it is necessary.  In the beginning of each trimester, teachers should define the curriculum and the teaching methodology to the parents as well as inform parents on the violations of discipline and assist them to get involved in the discipline envisaged by the internal regulations.

The Head of the class should have the contact information of all parents to contact them in time. If the schoolchild misses the lesson, or has problems of health or personal safety the Head of the class should inform the parent immediately.

The school principal is responsible for supporting the achievements in the state policy of general education and implementation of the innovations and changes in this policy. Principal should create safe, effective, organized and benevolent education and working environment and support the development of inclusive education at schools.

Principal should respect teachers, schoolchildren, parents and other employees of the school regardless their professional experience and personal habits. They should follow the moral and ethical norms as well as care for human, financial and material resources of the school.

Principals should hold the position of an advisor as well and informs on the needs the teachers and other employees if it is necessary. Principals should support the professional development of the teachers and all employees of the school. He/she should encourage the new teachers to integrate in the school environment and inform the teachers on the news, additional professional literature and professional development programs in the general education in time.   

The school principal is responsible for receiving high quality education and involving parents in the education process. If the parent wishes, principal should define the school curriculum to him/her and hold individual meetings if it is necessary.

In the case of violation of the ethics code, the responsibility of violators will be regulated by the internal regulation. According to Gia Mamulashvili, responsibility depends on the case, it may be warning, calling the parent and in the most difficult situation exclusion as well. If the teachers or principals violate regulations more than one time, administrative responsibility may be stopped.

It is explained in MES that in order to eradicate non-objectiveness at schools teachers are not allowed teaching the schoolchildren as the tutors.

Gia Mamulashvili: “Even the most objective teacher becomes subjective when he/she receives the salary from the family of their schoolchild. She will raise the score to this child by all means that is not objective. Such events provoke natural protest in the schoolchildren and we want to eradicate it”.