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Question 1
1.1 Identify and analyse three ethical or professional breaches evident in the extract. For each,
explain why it is ethically problematic in the context of teaching practice.
The conduct of the student teacher presents several clear ethical and professional breaches. These
actions not only contravene the specific duties owed to learners but also undermine the integrity and
standing of the teaching profession. The analysis that follows identifies three primary breaches,
explaining why each is ethically problematic within the context of teaching practice.
A primary ethical breach is the public humiliation of the learner, Lerato. The student teacher made a
general remark that learners who fail to submit work "lack discipline and commitment," a comment
that was implicitly directed at Lerato. This action directly contravenes the SACE Code of
Professional Ethics, which stipulates that an educator must avoid any form of humiliation and use
appropriate language and behaviour in his or her interaction with learners. The Code further
mandates that educators respect the dignity, beliefs and constitutional rights of learners. By making
this public pronouncement, the teacher failed to exercise authority with compassion and created an
environment where Lerato felt targeted, leading to her withdrawal from the lesson and a decline in
her academic performance. This breach is not merely a lapse in judgment but a fundamental failure
to uphold the learner's right to psychological safety and dignity, as protected by both the SACE Code
and the Constitution, which enshrines the right to freedom and security of the person, including
being free from all forms of violence from either public or private sources.
A second, deeply problematic breach is the student teacher's failure to maintain professional
confidentiality and demonstrate situational awareness. The extract reveals that the teacher discussed
Lerato’s academic difficulties with another student teacher in a corridor where learners could
overhear the conversation. This action violates the SACE Code's explicit requirement that an
educator respect the confidentiality of information pertaining to learners and use such information
only for professional purposes. Discussing a learner's struggles in a public, non-secure space
demonstrates a profound lack of discretion and a failure to protect the learner's private information.
The ethical problem here is twofold: it betrays the trust that is foundational to the educator-learner
relationship, and it exposes the learner to potential gossip, stigmatisation, and further social harm.
Effective teaching practice demands that professional conversations about learners occur only in
private, designated spaces and only with colleagues who have a legitimate professional need to know,
thereby safeguarding the learner's reputation and emotional wellbeing.
A third significant ethical breach is the student teacher's use of social media to express frustrations
about learners. The action of posting "Some Grade 11 learners expect teachers to lower standards
instead of putting in more effort," accompanied by a classroom photograph, constitutes a serious
violation of professional boundaries and the SACE Code's provisions regarding the maintenance of
the dignity and reputation of the profession. Even without naming individual learners, the post
identifies the learners as a group within a specific context, which is a clear breach of privacy. The
SACE Code expects educators to behave in a manner that upholds the integrity of the profession and
protects the best interests of learners.
Question 1
1.1 Identify and analyse three ethical or professional breaches evident in the extract. For each,
explain why it is ethically problematic in the context of teaching practice.
The conduct of the student teacher presents several clear ethical and professional breaches. These
actions not only contravene the specific duties owed to learners but also undermine the integrity and
standing of the teaching profession. The analysis that follows identifies three primary breaches,
explaining why each is ethically problematic within the context of teaching practice.
A primary ethical breach is the public humiliation of the learner, Lerato. The student teacher made a
general remark that learners who fail to submit work "lack discipline and commitment," a comment
that was implicitly directed at Lerato. This action directly contravenes the SACE Code of
Professional Ethics, which stipulates that an educator must avoid any form of humiliation and use
appropriate language and behaviour in his or her interaction with learners. The Code further
mandates that educators respect the dignity, beliefs and constitutional rights of learners. By making
this public pronouncement, the teacher failed to exercise authority with compassion and created an
environment where Lerato felt targeted, leading to her withdrawal from the lesson and a decline in
her academic performance. This breach is not merely a lapse in judgment but a fundamental failure
to uphold the learner's right to psychological safety and dignity, as protected by both the SACE Code
and the Constitution, which enshrines the right to freedom and security of the person, including
being free from all forms of violence from either public or private sources.
A second, deeply problematic breach is the student teacher's failure to maintain professional
confidentiality and demonstrate situational awareness. The extract reveals that the teacher discussed
Lerato’s academic difficulties with another student teacher in a corridor where learners could
overhear the conversation. This action violates the SACE Code's explicit requirement that an
educator respect the confidentiality of information pertaining to learners and use such information
only for professional purposes. Discussing a learner's struggles in a public, non-secure space
demonstrates a profound lack of discretion and a failure to protect the learner's private information.
The ethical problem here is twofold: it betrays the trust that is foundational to the educator-learner
relationship, and it exposes the learner to potential gossip, stigmatisation, and further social harm.
Effective teaching practice demands that professional conversations about learners occur only in
private, designated spaces and only with colleagues who have a legitimate professional need to know,
thereby safeguarding the learner's reputation and emotional wellbeing.
A third significant ethical breach is the student teacher's use of social media to express frustrations
about learners. The action of posting "Some Grade 11 learners expect teachers to lower standards
instead of putting in more effort," accompanied by a classroom photograph, constitutes a serious
violation of professional boundaries and the SACE Code's provisions regarding the maintenance of
the dignity and reputation of the profession. Even without naming individual learners, the post
identifies the learners as a group within a specific context, which is a clear breach of privacy. The
SACE Code expects educators to behave in a manner that upholds the integrity of the profession and
protects the best interests of learners.
