Panel proposes code of ethics for teachers and a monitor too…….Anubhuti Vishnoi
New Delhi Like doctors and lawyers, teachers may soon be subject to a code of professional ethics, which includes clauses for disciplinary action over corporal punishment, private tuitions and other anti-community activities.
If accepted by the government, the proposed code would apply to school teachers across the country, from primary to secondary and senior secondary levels, and across government as well as private schools, with the aim of restoring dignity and integrity to the vocation of teaching.
One of the most far-reaching recommendations of the code is setting up of a professional body like the Indian Medical Association or Bar Council of India, which applies to professionals in their respective fields and imposes penalties in case of reported violations of ethical practices.
The four-member committee that formulated the code after examining similar codes in other nations is headed by former NCERT director Prof A K Sharma and includes Prof G L Arora (former head, Department of Teacher Education, NCERT), Prof Najma Amin (Head, Department of Educational Studies, Jamia Milia Islamia), and Prof Pranati Panda (Department of Comparative Education and International Cooperation, National University of Educational Planning & International Cooperation).
The committee has already shared its interim report on the proposed code with several state governments, and will be submitting the final report to the Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry by month end.
Recommending the code in view of Section 24 of the Right to Education Act laying down duties and responsibilities of teachers, the committee says that the code is perhaps the answer, as self-regulation though desirable leaves scope for violations. According to the code, the primary obligation of a teacher lies towards his/her pupils, and it underlines that teachers must treat all children equally, irrespective of their class, caste, religion or gender. It specifically warns a teacher against subjecting any child to fear, trauma, anxiety, physical punishment and mental and emotional harassment and from any act involving sexual abuse of the child.
As part of obligations of teachers towards parents and society in general, the teachers have been told to refrain from participating in activities that could hurt this sentiment including taking private tuitions and accepting gifts that might influence professional decisions.
The committee has also suggested that the All India Federations of Primary and Secondary School teachers and the National Council for Teacher Education evolve a process for registration of persons eligible for teaching in schools. These registered teachers would be given a copy of the code and administered an oath of allegiance.
Incidents of non-observance of the code, it is recommended, should be dealt with through a three-tier mechanism school/block level, state ethics committee and finally, the national ethics committee. While the school/block level mechanism will deal with issues like punctuality, completion of course, private tuitions and try to convince teachers to mend ways, it can take disciplinary action if the teacher is not persuaded.
The state-level committee will look at more serious charges like child abuse, promotion of animosity among communities and drafting advisories to erring teachers. In case a teacher merits withdrawal of eligibility, or cancellation of registration, the matter may be referred to a national ethics committee.
Packed with eminent educationists and members of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, this committee will look at cases forwarded to them by the state-level committees.
The fact is that in other professions like medicine, law etc., after completion of the course, the pass-out is registered as a bona fide practitioner of the profession and is bound by a Code of Professional Ethics, which if violated invites disciplinary action from the concerned professional body ranging from advisories to even cancellation of the licence to practice the profession. No such provision exists in the case of the teaching profession, a member of the committee told The Indian Express.
The new code, the member added, goes beyond the 1997 code. A code for teachers was originally drafted by the NCERT that year in collaboration with teachers federations, in line with the 1986 National Policy on Education, but since there were no penalties attached to it, the older code was never really implemented in a serious manner.