Code of Conduct

The indicator assesses the proportion of schools or learning spaces in which (i) teachers and education personnel have a Code of Conduct (CoC) they are expected to adhere to, as well as (ii) whether the CoC is enforced/applied and (iii) whether teachers, education personnel and communities are aware of school or learning space rules to ensure child and teacher participation and safety.

1) Determine the total number of schools or learning spaces targeted by the action. This data can be gathered from project level documentation.

2) Ask the management of the target schools or learning spaces whether the school or learning space has a CoC in place (if the answer is yes, and this can be verified by viewing a physical copy of the CoC, the learning space can be considered as meeting part (i) of the indicator).

3) To determine the base indicator’s value, count the total number of schools or learning spaces that have a CoC in place and divide the number by the total number of schools or learning spaces. Multiply the value by 100 to convert it to a percentage.

4) Continue with the next steps only for the schools/learning spaces that were considered as meeting part (i) of the indicator.

5) Determine the minimum required proportion of teachers, children and community members that need to be aware of and understand the CoC in order for the indicator to be met. The target should be based on the context of the intervention, on how intensively the intervention promotes the CoC, and on how accepted the CoC is by the schools or learning spaces and the education authorities.

6) Ask each school or learning space manager to provide the list of teachers (and ideally wider personnel working in the school or learning space – refer to Important Comments below for additional guidance). In each school or learning space, randomly select a representative sample of the targeted teachers and personnel from the list (depending on the total number of teachers/personnel in the school or learning space). Make sure that the sample adequately represents the diverse composition of teachers and personnel in the school or learning spaces (considering various criteria such as sex, age group, ethnicity, teaching experience etc.).

7) For the catchment area of each school, prepare a sample of parents or caregivers of school-aged children as community representatives who are most affected by the presence (or lack of) a CoC at learning spaces.

8) To assess whether the CoC is (ii) enforced and (iii) teachers and communities are trained in/informed about its application, prepare and conduct two surveys: 1) among a representative sample of teachers / school personnel and 2) among a representative sample of parents / caregivers. The surveys should include the minimum number of correct answers that need to be provided for the CoC to be considered as ‘enforced’ and for teachers/personnel/community members to be considered as ‘informed about its application’. Recommended survey questions for measuring this indicator can be found here.

9) The surveyed school or learning space can be considered as successfully passing the criteria if:

1. the CoC exists
2. the minimum pre-set proportion of teachers 1) are aware of the CoC; 2) signed the CoC; 3) can correctly describe its purpose; 4) can list the minimum number of behaviours the CoC forbids; and 5) know the consequences of such behaviours
3. the minimum pre-set proportion of community members 1) are aware of the CoC; 2) can correctly describe its purpose; 3) can list the minimum number of behaviours the CoC forbids; and 4) know the consequences of such behaviours
4. To determine the indicator’s value, count the total number of schools or learning spaces that successfully passed the above listed criteria and divide the number by the total number of schools or learning spaces. Multiply the value by 100 to convert it to a percentage.

Disaggregation of the data can be done by the education level and/or the type of school or learning space (formal versus non-formal). Data can also be disaggregated by the respondent type (I.e., children, teachers, parents or caregivers, etc.).

1) This is INEE Indicator 4.5.

2) If working across a large numbers of schools/learning spaces, or it is challenging to collect data across all three criteria mentioned in the indicator, simplify the measurement by selecting the most important criteria relevant to the context/project/programme, prioritising the existence of a CoC as the base level.

3) Teacher’s Code of Conduct is a statement of principles, rules and values that establishes a set of expectations and standards for how individuals in a school or learning space will behave in an ethical way, including minimal levels of compliance and disciplinary actions. A Teacher’s CoC should always be contextualized to the local situation.

4) Note that measuring teacher awareness and adherence to the CoC can – and should – be extended to include all personnel working in the space (this includes head teachers, teachers, volunteer teachers, administration and support staff, including cleaners, guards etc). All persons working with children are responsible for adhering to the CoC to ensure children’s safety and wellbeing and should therefore also be included in such assessments/indicators.

5) It is good practice to also assess whether children are aware of the existence and content of a CoC that guides teacher and personnel behaviour and practice. The guidance provided above, and the related survey questions, can be edited to collect this information from children, but may need adaptation to ensure that they are child-friendly and appropriate for the age group and context.

6) Ensure that the enumerators are able to correctly distinguish whether or not the teacher (and wider personnel working in the learning space), children and community members understand the CoC’s content. During the enumerators’ training, use examples of various situations and answers.

7) This indicator (particularly part (ii) and (iii) on enforcement and awareness) is linked to INEE indicator 4.10. Additional measurements for linked INEE indicator 4.10 can be measured using the above survey questions and measuring the number of respondents who know the consequences of breaking the code of conduct.

8) Related indicators:

     INEE

        - 4.10 % of targeted learning spaces that have clear disciplinary actions in place for teachers, school leaders, and administrators who have broken the code of conduct

     Global Education Cluster

        - number and % of surveyed active-duty education staff who have signed the adopted code of conduct

     UNRWA

        - % of students reporting that they have experienced physical and/or verbal abuse from UNRWA educational personnel

     Child Protection Minimum Standards (CPMS)

        - 23.2.12 % of active-duty education personnel that have signed the code of conduct at their respective learning centre