CBSE wants code of ethics in classroom, releases trainer’s manual

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has released a Trainer’s Manual for educators with an aim to help teachers instil and reinforce a code of ethics in their classrooms.

Schools are the spaces where young people prepare for life, acquire skills for career and success. With  this  goal in view, CBSE  has  prepared, A Trainer’s  Manual  for  Educators” Integrity and Ethics” for conducting Capacity Building Programmes for the teachers, a CBSE release read.

The programme will be launched in this current academic session of 2019-20 itself. The two day activity workshop has  been carefully  designed  for  teachers to probe and  prod various  thoughts  and  actions. It  includes topics  ranging from (Cognitive  dissonance), Understanding Integrity, Kohlberg’s stages of moral development and A to Z of Ethics.

The training and activities are interspersed with role plays, anecdotes and approaching Ethics and Integrity through AV media, Teacher/elders as role model and creating space for Integrity in Classrooms.

Among  a  host  of  activities  and  suggestions,  the  manual  also  talks  about  the  probable ways Teachers Develop a Culture of Integrity and includes  excerpts from write ups and articles  by  well-known  thinkers,  such  as  the American  psychologist,  author,  columnist and youth development expert Marilyn Price-Mitcheland discusses how to:

Infuse integrity into the classroom culture

Develop a moral vocabulary

Responsibility • Respect • Fairness • Trustworthiness • Honesty Incorporating the teaching  of  these  five  values  into  the  curriculum  and  help  students  use  the vocabulary to discuss a variety of historical topics and current events.

Responding  appropriately  when  cheating  occurs. While  teachers  cannot  control student behaviour, they can respond with consistency when enforcing school and classroom policies.

Using  famous quotes as  conversation starters  to  help  students  reflect on topics related to integrity, moral development, and other attitudes that help them develop positive work habits and respectful relationships.

Helping  students  believe in themselves: Students who stand up for  principles in which they believe have high degrees of self-efficacy. The objective is to create an environment in which existing practices and policies can be critically examined and students can be sensitised. The board hopes to make this a cross cutting theme across all disciplines, the release read.