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A joint subcommittee consisting of members from two standing committees of the Faculty of Education (Faculty of Education Ethical Review Board and Student Standing) was created to develop a Code of Ethics for Student Teachers and to examine the ways in which this Code will be communicated to students, faculty members, and educational partners.
The interests of the two Standing Committees of the Faculty of Education in promoting appropriate ethical and professional conduct have led us to develop the following Code of Ethics for Student Teachers. This code seeks to respond to and address the following needs:
The principles and norms guiding ethical conduct are developed within an ever-evolving complex societal context, elements of which include the need for reflective action and ethical principles.
Education is premised on a fundamental moral commitment to advance and construct knowledge and to ensure human understanding and respect for individual and collective well-being and integrity.
The moral imperative of respect translates into the following ethical principles that assume a student-centred perspective as articulated in the Quebec Curriculum Reform and Competencies outlined for Teacher Education.
Teachers enjoy, and should continue to enjoy, important freedoms and privileges. However, with freedoms come responsibilities and ethical challenges. This Code of Ethics is in keeping with the philosophy and spirit of the New Directions that are embedded in the document "Teacher Training: Orientations, Professional Competencies" (MEQ 2001) and the reflective practice literature.
The role of the teacher and the contexts of teaching have changed. Thus, new resources (knowledge, skills, attitudes) are required to practice the profession and to meet the challenges of teaching and learning in whatever contexts student teachers may find themselves, and to engage in professional development individually and with others.
"Teaching is governed by a legal and regulatory framework" (MEQ 2001, p. 120). The law affects and regulates the standards and norms of teaching behaviours in a variety of ways such as respecting privacy, confidentiality, intellectual property, and competence. Human rights legislation prohibits discrimination and recognizes equal treatment as fundamental to human dignity and well being. Teachers should respect the spirit of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, particularly the sections dealing with life, liberty, and the security of the person, as well as those involving equality and discrimination and the Education Act that sets out the obligations and rights of teachers.
Ethical student teachers should respect the following guiding ethical principles:
More than one principle may apply to a given case or situation. For meaningful and effective implementation of these principles, they must be widely communicated and applied in appropriate contexts.