ID of Student: G00311941

Article/Reading: Tutorial 1, The Code of Professional Conduct for Teachers

1. CONCISE SUMMARY OF READING

The Code of Professional Conduct for Teachers was set up in 2006 for all registered teachers,
detailing the ethical norms and professional standards to which all teachers must follow. The
code is broken down into three main aims;
1. The code itself is only a guideline for teachers. (Ireland, Teaching Council of, 2006) It
is used to assist the teachers in seeking an “ethical and respectful course” through
their teaching career and to uphold honour and esteem of the teaching profession.
2. The code may be used by anybody in the public domain to “inform their understanding
and expectations of the teaching profession in Ireland” (Teaching Council of Ireland,
2016)
3. The code has an important legal standing. The teaching council of Ireland may use the
code “as a reference point in exercising its investigative and disciplinary functions
under Part 5 of the Teaching Council Acts, 2001 – 2015, dealing with fitness to teach.”

The Code of Conduct starts by setting out the ethical fundamentals for the teacher profession.
These ethical fundamentals highlight the four core values of an ethical person, which are
Respect, Care, Integrity and Trust. These core values are the foundation to which ethical views
are formed and developed. The code sets out the standards relating to practicing and
registered teachers regardless to their position. The standards that classify teachers’
professional responsibilities are divided into six separate headings, Values and Relationships,
Integrity, Conduct, Practice, Professional Development, Collegiality and Collaboration. These
standards act as a guide for professional judgement and practice.

The second half of the code deals with complaints relating to registered teachers. The code
details that, only complaints that are of a serious nature will result in an inquiry. Complaints
can be made by anyone to the Teaching Council in relation to a registered teacher. The
grounds in which a complaint can be made are set out in section 42(1) of the Teaching Council
Acts, 2001-2015. Section 42(1) includes professional misconduct, poor professional
performance, conduct contrary to the Code of Professional Conduct for Teachers and in
certain circumstances, convictions. It is explained that the Teaching Council may hold a
hearing in relation to a complaint, if it is seen appropriate.

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 In conclusion, the code explains what is expected of a teacher in respect to how he/she should
act and integrate with others throughout their professional career. As a legal document, it
will serve as a reference point, if deemed necessary for the matter in hand. The code
highlights four core values; Respect, Care, Integrity and Trust and the professional
responsibilities that are expected of anyone entering the teaching profession. It outlines the
complaints procedures against registered teachers and what may result from a complaint.
The code is to act as a guide for teachers to further develop and continue in their career

2. CRITICAL REFLECTION

The Code of Professional Conduct for Teachers was devised by the Teaching Council of Ireland
in 2016. The Code of Conduct outlines the core values and responsibilities teachers must
adhere to throughout their professional career. The language used in the document is very
clear throughout allowing members of the public who would have little or no relation to the
teaching profession to read the document without any issues. This is essential as the
document is in place to let teachers and the public know what is expected of the Teaching
Council of Ireland concerning registered teachers.

In section 1.2, under Professional Values and Relationships the code states “acknowledge and
respect the uniqueness, individuality and special needs of pupils/students and promote
holistic development.” (Ireland, Teaching Council of, 2006). However, I feel teachers do not
receive a high enough standard of training to be able to promote the holistic development of
a special need’s student. According to a report documented in the Irish Examiner, highlighting
the initial training received by teachers on the development of a special need’s students in
the classroom. The report results states, “between 2006 and 2012, more than 12,000 primary
school teachers and 8,000 post-primary teachers were trained in Ireland. In the same period,
almost 2,000 completed the Post-Graduate Diploma in SEN and almost 300 completed the
Master of Ed in SEN — meaning that approximately 2,300 teachers are now qualified to work
with pupils with SEN, but more than 20,000 new teachers are not” (Meeriman & Rickard,
2011). These results also show that there are up to 12,000 students who need SNA help and
are receiving no assistance at all. The code states that it is the teachers’ responsibility to
ensure he/she promotes the students’ development, but how is this possible if the training is
not provided to teachers in the first place? In my opinion, more detailed training should be
incorporated within all teacher training courses on how to work with students with special
needs. This gives students who have learning difficulties in the classroom a better chance to
reach the best of their capabilities by receiving adequate help needed. (Borland & James,
1999).

Professional Integrity, section 2.5, states that teachers should “avoid conflict between their
professional work and private interests which could reasonably be deemed to impact
negatively on pupils/students” (Teaching Council of Ireland, 2016). In the area of the

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 technology subjects, I feel teachers tend to be drawn towards them due to their interests, in
the woodwork room for example, the teacher wishes to teach that subject in due to their
interests. Is it then deemed unprofessional if the teacher calls upon their interests to teach?
For example, projects designed by the teacher should be neutral for all students e.g. getting
students to make a racing car because the teacher has an interest in cars or choosing a
catholic symbolized project for students to make if all students are not catholic. Us as teachers
need careful planning when designing projects to make in the classroom to ensure they are
meeting the students interests rather than the teachers. From my personal experience, I feel
working with the interests of the students results in higher results and an overall better
learning environment. I found that this style of teaching follows the approach by John Dewey.
Dewey felt that getting the students involved further helped them reach the best of their
learning capabilities. ‘He argued that rather than the child being a passive recipient of
knowledge, as was presumed by many educators of the time, children were better served if
they took an active part in the process of their own learning’ (Wheeler, 2016). Is it then
deemed unprofessional if the teacher uses the students interests to teach? Displaying an
interest within an area and having the expertise around the subject, has a big effect on how
the students learn. This in turn displays the lack of thought put into the Code of Conduct
within this certain area, as it is recommended to “avoid conflict between their professional
work and private interests” (Ireland, Teaching Council of, 2006). I feel that it’s a teachers own
love, passion and interest for a subject which can have a great effect on the students learning
and possibly spark a passion for the subject if the interest is not deemed negatively. As a
student teacher myself I hope to incorporate the students interests and my own effectively
to help the students reach their capabilities

In conclusion, ‘The Code of Professional Conduct for Teachers’ is a legally binding document,
that displays enough information for a teacher to continue to build their professional career
on. The traits mentioned within the document are what is expected of registered teachers.
Just because a teacher adheres to those traits, that does not make them a good teacher in
return. As discussed previously, the Code of Conduct needs to be more precise and needs
more taught. The Code of Conduct only skims over the surface in my opinion. It serves its
purpose, but with additional thought, care and effort, The Professional Code of Conduct for
Teachers can be what it is destined to be. In relation to codes from other countries, the Irish
code is more precise and covers a lot more ground on information relating to the teaching
profession.

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 3. LIST OF REFERENCES

Borland , J. & James, S., 1999. The Learning Experience of Student with Disabilities.
Disability and Society , Volume 14, pp. 85-101.

Ireland, Teaching Council of, 2006. Code of Professional Conduct for Teachers. [Online]
Available at: https://www.teachingcouncil.ie/en/Publications/Fitness-to-Teach/Code-of-
Professional-Conduct-for-Teachers.pdf
[Accessed 30th September 2018].

Meeriman, B. & Rickard, A., 2011. Irish Examiner. [Online]

Available at: https://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/teachers-should-get-special-needs-
training-249155.html
[Accessed 7th October 2018].

Wheeler, S., 2016. Teachthought. [Online]

Available at: https://www.teachthought.com/learning/pedagogy-john-dewey-summary/
[Accessed 10th October 2018].

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