Young teachers swear an oath to observe professional ethics in front of Si Xia Memorial Museum in Nanjing.

A draft amendment to the code of professional ethics for teachers in primary and secondary schools was released yesterday. It is now posted on the Ministry of Education website and the public is free to view the new ruling and offer opinions.

The item protecting students is covered in the revised version for the first time. All teachers in primary and secondary schools around the country will be asked to observe the new professional code of ethics after the draft is passed.

The current code of professional ethics for teachers was last revised in 1997. Various circles of Chinese society have called for a revision of the code, given extenuating circumstances generated by the recent earthquake.

The 8.0-magnitude earthquake hit Sichuan Province on May 12. Teachers in the disaster areas risked their lives to protect students during the quake. Chinese from all walks of life have praised their actions.

The draft has been enriched in content but has fewer items than the previous code. The former code of conduct required teachers to be strict with their students, while the new draft states that teachers and children should be good friends.

Protecting students is required in the drafted code for the first time. “It is mandatory for teachers to protect their students, teachers who disregard the lives of children are not qualified,” said Xiang Jiaxiang, vice president of Shanghai Normal University.

(China.org.cn by Yang Xi, June 26, 2008)