Professional Ethics, School Administration and Education Policy
What the exam expects
This domain tests the teacher as a public agent. Professional ethics: the obligations of the civil servant (neutrality, confidentiality, integrity, respect for the pupil, equity, non-discrimination, prohibition of corporal punishment and of harassment), professional secrecy, and the duty to report serious matters to the hierarchy. School administration: the roles of the director, the school council, the parents' association, the inspection services, and the administrative hierarchy from the ministry to the school. Education policy: the legal framework of Burkinabè education, the principle of compulsory schooling, the fight against illiteracy, the place of national languages, girls' education, inclusive education, and the sectoral planning documents that orient the system.
Traps that recur
- Confusing the duty of confidentiality with a duty to conceal wrongdoing: serious matters must be reported.
- Believing that corporal punishment is a private pedagogical choice: it is prohibited.
- Confusing the school director's pedagogical and administrative roles with the inspector's supervisory and evaluation role.
- Treating equity as identical treatment: equity may require differentiated treatment to reach equal opportunity.
- Confusing national education policy documents with school-level rules.
Rule of thumb
When an ethics question presents a dilemma, apply three tests in order: legality (is it lawful?), equity (does it treat pupils fairly?), and transparency (could I justify it to my hierarchy and to parents?). If any test fails, the conduct is not defensible.
Worked example
A teacher discovers a colleague physically punishing a pupil. The legality test fails immediately: corporal punishment is prohibited. The duty of confidentiality does not cover it. The correct conduct is to protect the pupil, report to the director and the hierarchy, and document the facts - not to remain silent out of collegiality.