Professional Ethics, Learner Protection and Teacher Conduct
7. Professional Ethics, Learner Protection and Teacher Conduct
This domain tests your judgement about the teacher's legal and moral duties to learners, including the duty of care, child protection and the limits of confidentiality. Expect scenario items: something happens, and you must choose the professional response.
Core rules
- The teacher stands in loco parentis: a duty of care to protect learners' safety, health and dignity, and to act on any reasonable suspicion of harm.
- The National Teachers' Standards set the expected professional values, knowledge, practice and relationships; the teachers' code of conduct governs punctuality, preparation, fair assessment, non-discrimination, language, dress and relationships with learners, parents and colleagues.
- Corporal punishment and degrading treatment are prohibited in Ghanaian schools. Discipline must be positive, proportionate and never humiliating.
- Any sexual or romantic relationship with a learner is a criminal offence and gross misconduct, whatever the learner says about consent.
- Confidentiality is a duty, not an absolute: it yields when a learner is at risk. Share on a need-to-know basis with the head teacher and the appropriate authority.
- Child protection procedure: listen without leading questions, never promise secrecy, record the child's own words promptly, report to the head teacher, and cooperate with the Department of Social Welfare or the police DOVVSU. Do not investigate the allegation yourself or confront the alleged abuser.
- Professional boundaries: no transporting a lone learner without another adult, no private messaging with learners, no gifts that create obligation, no tutoring that exploits the class relationship.
Worked example
A Primary 6 pupil has unexplained bruises and flinches when a hand is raised. She asks you not to tell anyone. What do you do? Reasoning: you cannot keep that promise, and telling her so honestly is part of the procedure. You listen, do not interrogate, record her exact words, and report the same day to the head teacher for referral to Social Welfare or DOVVSU. You do not contact the family yourself, because the family may be the source of harm. You keep the information need-to-know and remain a stable, supportive adult in class.
Traps that cost marks
- 'Confidentiality is absolute' - it is not, in safeguarding.
- 'Use corporal punishment only as a last resort' - still prohibited.
- Treating a colleague's misconduct as a private matter.
- Handling a disclosure alone, or sending the child home to report it.