Maintaining Professional Relationships Among All Educators
Increasingly, the task of educating children and maintaining safe and effective schools is being
carried out by teams of education practitioners. In addition to full-time teachers, many schools
employ occasional teachers, educational assistants, early childhood educators, and a number of other
professionals including health professionals, community workers, and social workers. This plethora of
professionals, each of whom plays a vital role in the development and education of students, has given
rise to new concerns regarding the professional relationships within school communities. Professional
and respectful relationships among educators and other professionals is not only a necessary ingredient
for effective learning, it is also mandated by governmental, regulatory, and organizational policy.
Sources that establish the obligation to maintain respectful and professional relationships
The Ontario Human Rights Code and Occupational Health and Safety Act apply to all employees working
within Ontario schools. Both of these statutes prohibit workplace harassment, defined broadly as a course
of vexatious comment or conduct that is known or ought reasonably to be known to be unwelcome. This
includes bullying behaviour.
While the Human Rights Code prevents harassment that is based on one of the listed prohibited grounds
of discrimination, the Occupational Health and Safety Act prohibits all forms of harassment and requires
school boards to have specific policies setting this out.
For teachers and early childhood educators, both the Ontario College of Teachers Act and the Early
Childhood Educators Act
prohibit conduct that is unbecoming a member. Violation of that requirement may
result in a finding of professional misconduct and could affect the ability of a teacher or early childhood
educator to practice in Ontario. In addition, the Ontario College of Teachers has a code of ethics and
standards of practice that apply to the relationship between teachers and other educators. The College
of Early Childhood Educators has recently approved its own code of ethics and standards of practice that
contain similar provisions regarding the requirement to treat colleagues and other professionals with
respect, trust, and integrity. ETFO represents teachers, early childhood educators, and other education
practitioners working in Ontario schools. The following provisions of the ETFO Constitution are directly
relevant to the issue of respectful professional relationships, and apply to all ETFO members:
Article VI . Code of Professional Conduct
6.1 A member shall:
6.1.6 strive to eliminate all forms of harassment between individuals in the educational
system;
6.1.7 endeavour to ensure equity and inclusiveness in the workplace; and
6.1.8 strive to achieve and maintain a high degree of professionalism and to uphold the
honour, dignity, and ethical standards of the teaching profession.
The Teaching Profession Act applies to all teachers and other members of the Ontario Teachers Federation
(OTF). The following provision is contained in a regulation established under the Teaching Profession Act:
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