22 types of behaviour banned in Abu Dhabi schools

Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) has notified school staff in Abu Dhabi to consistently demonstrate integrity, respect, impartiality and ethical behaviour in classrooms and in their interactions with students, colleagues, parents and community members.

According to a new policy on professional ethics, educators are required to cooperate with colleagues in a manner that serves the best interests of students and the teaching profession, while adhering to ADEK’s Integrated Safety Policy for school staff and student conduct guidelines.

What the policy says

ADEK’s new professional ethics policy for Abu Dhabi schools, which has been disseminated to all institutions and is effective as of the current academic year, prohibits 22 types of behaviour under six key standards identified as unprofessional. The key standards and the unacceptable types of behaviour under them are as under:

1. Respect for national identity and Emirati cultural values

The policy requires educators to promote a respectful and inclusive environment for all members of the school community. Five kinds of unprofessional behaviours are prohibited under this standard:

• Discrimination or harassment against any member of the school community or workplace.
• Discrimination against pregnant employees or those who recently gave birth.
• Participation in activities that promote ideological indoctrination, religious or political extremism, racism, bullying or any form of discrimination.
• Wearing inappropriate or immodest clothing that disregards cultural values or violates school dress codes.
• Engaging in behaviour that contradicts the professional and ethical code of conduct for educators in public education institutions.

Professional behaviour includes respecting individuals from diverse religious, racial or cultural backgrounds, ensuring a discrimination-free environment and treating all students and colleagues equitably.

2. Relations with colleagues

Educators are expected to collaborate with colleagues to advance students’ interests and uphold professional standards. Four unprofessional behaviours are prohibited under this standard:

• Verbal or physical harassment of colleagues, including any inappropriate conduct that causes discomfort or insecurity.
• Spreading rumours or damaging a colleague’s reputation.
• Disclosing confidential information about a colleague.
• Deliberately excluding colleagues from work-related activities or withholding professional information.

Professional behaviour includes supporting colleagues to maintain high professional standards, fostering a positive work environment, and assisting in mentoring new educators.

3. Legal commitments
   Educators must comply with laws and government regulations at all times and report any violations to relevant authorities. Five unprofessional behaviours in this context are prohibited:

• Forging or misrepresenting professional qualifications or work experience.
• Presenting another’s work as their own or engaging in plagiarism.
• Intentionally violating or ignoring applicable laws, including concealing reported violations.
• Making comments or statements that could harm the reputation of ADEK, the school or colleagues.
• Providing private tutoring to students enrolled in their own school without authorisation.
  Professional behaviour includes maintaining honesty and integrity, adhering to UAE laws and policies, and obtaining appropriate permissions for private tutoring from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation when required.

4 . Digital activities

Educators must practise responsible digital behaviours to ensure their own safety and that of their students. Two unprofessional behaviours are prohibited:

• Misusing work devices in violation of the school’s responsible use policy.
• Sharing student screenshots or work containing personal identification information.

Professional behaviour includes ongoing professional development, helping students assess the reliability of digital information, using artificial intelligence responsibly, teaching students about cyberbullying, and addressing incidents of plagiarism with corrective measures.

5. Community protection

Educators must not engage in or facilitate any form of abuse towards students or staff, either within or outside the school premises, and are required to report any witnessed incidents of abuse. Four unprofessional behaviours are prohibited:

• Making inappropriate comments or physical contact, even in a playful manner.
• Abusing students or staff in any form.
• Failing to report witnessed incidents of abuse.
• Facilitating abuse of students in any way.
  Professional behaviour includes reporting incidents or suspicions of abuse to authorities, raising awareness among students about identifying and reporting abuse, and ensuring that classrooms and school premises are safe environments for students.

6. Engagement with the community

Educators are expected to actively contribute to fostering integrated safety in the school and community while promoting positive societal change across social, economic, cultural, and other domains. Two unprofessional behaviours are prohibited:

• Using social issues to incite students toward extremist behaviour or involvement with potentially extremist organisations.

• Exploiting social issues for personal gain through fraudulent activities, such as unauthorised crowdfunding.

Professional behaviour includes volunteering for social causes, contributing to environmental and sustainability initiatives, and participating in continuous professional development to enhance community engagement.