Teachers’ code lays down lore on activism, sex with ex-pupils

The guidance comes amid the increased visibility of teacher activist groups like Teachers and School Staff for Palestine and educators in relationships with former students.

The guidance comes amid the increased visibility of teacher activist groups like Teachers and School Staff for Palestine.

A new code of conduct for South Australian teachers warns educators to engage in activism in a way that does “not create conflict” for students or colleagues, and to “refrain” from engaging in sexual relationships with former students.

In a set of “Commonly asked questions” attached to the new code of conduct, which came into effect on August 1, the Teachers Registration Board of South Australia said while teachers, like everyone, had a right to engage in activism and protests, and express personal opinions, including on social media, it should be done in a manner that “upholds the integrity and reputation of the teaching profession”.

It should also be done “in a way that does not create conflict or invasive discomfort for students or colleagues”, the advice, which has been developed to support understanding of the code, says.

Teacher activism is not mentioned in the actual code of conduct, which was published in February this year, but broadly “behaving in a manner that reflects their professional role in the learner’s life” is repeated throughout.

The guidance comes amid the increased visibility of teacher activist groups like Teachers and School Staff for Palestine.

Another “Commonly asked question” considers: “If a teacher has sexual relations with a former student of consenting age, is it considered a breach of the code?”

“Relationships with former students are an extremely risky area for teachers and it is easy to breach professional standards if you do conduct a relationship with a former student. As a matter of best practice, teachers should refrain from engaging in a sexual relationship with a former student,” the advice states.

“If a teacher does commence a relationship with a former student at a school where they taught, then it would be reasonable that the relationship would be investigated to find out whether … there has been ongoing communication, whether an appropriate amount of time has passed between graduation and the relationship commencing, whether any grooming behaviour has been involved and/or whether a power imbalance still exists.

“As a minimum, the student would need to have graduated from school, be of consenting age, and at least several years have passed before any form of personal relationship is commenced.”

A teacher code of conduct brings SA in line with several other states and territories including Victoria, NSW, Queensland and the ACT.

The Victorian code of conduct for teachers, for example, notes a “professional relationship may be compromised if a teacher … has a sexualised relationship with a former learner within two years of the learner completing their senior secondary schooling or equivalent.”

The guidelines attached to the SA code also advise that teachers should “reject ‘friend’ requests on social media from students on their personal accounts and refrain from unauthorised and direct social media contact with students, again on their personal accounts”.

The SA code is less focused on specific unacceptable behaviours when compared to the codes of other states, with Teachers Registration Board Registrar, Leonie Paulson, saying that it “highlights professional expectations when joining this profession, rather than merely setting out worst behaviour or ‘misconduct’.”

“It aims high – as all teachers urged us to do throughout the consultation.”

The SA code of conduct was flagged in mid-2021 and reportedly developed as part of a crackdown against inappropriate teacher behaviour.