Guidelines for Ethical Practice

Guidelines for Ethical Practice

The following guidelines are seen as representing a consensus of what constitutes ethical practice in respect of the way a school conducts its affairs in the dealing with other member schools. It is acknowledged that it is not, however, the role of JCIS to investigate the activities of its members in these respects.

1. The Integrity of the School

1.1 A School should meticulously carry out the promises and contracts made with any person, school, organization, or the general public.

1.2 A school should carefully avoid misleading or ambiguous statements about its or a member school’s work situation, or status.

1.3 A school should respect normally accepted conventions regarding confidentially.

2. Recruitment Practices

2.1 No school or employee thereof should approach the employee of another JCIS school and encourage or entice them to accept employment at their own school.

2.2 However, the right of a person to visit and to consider employment in a school other than that in which he/she is currently employed without notifying the current employer should be respected.

2.3 The right of a school to hold preliminary discussions about possible employment with a teacher employed in another school without notifying such other school should also be respected.

2.4 Before a new contract is offered or accepted, a prospective employer should contact the Head of the teacher’s current school to verify that a contract with that school has not yet been signed.

2.5 No school should attempt to influence a person to break a contract already signed with another school.

2.6 JCIS endorses confidential followups on all written recommendations.

3. Transfer and Enrolment of Students

3.1 A member school shall not itself knowingly initiate attempts to enrol a student currently enrolled at another member school.

3.2 However, the right of a student and his/her parent(s) to visit, consider and apply to schools other than that which the student is presently attending is recognized, as is their right to do so without notifying the current school. The right of one member school to hold preliminary discussions with such parents without notifying the student’s existing school is also recognized.

3.3 When a student at a JCIS school has applied for admission to another member school and the receiving school wishes to accept the student, admission should be finalized only upon receipt of an official transcript or endorsed report card from the sending school, which includes the most recent quarter’s work, received either directly from the school or through the parent(s). If the sending school has issued an official transcript or endorsed report card, it can be assumed that the applicant’s financial obligations to that school have been met. If there is any doubt, admission should be delayed pending confirmation that there are no outstanding financial obligations to the sending school.

3.4 A school’s most important consideration in enrolling a new student should be the welfare of that student. Financial aid or any other advantage not regularly accorded to all students should not be offered in such a way as to influence the enrolment decision improperly.

3.5 Financial assistance should customarily be granted on the basis of need.

3.6 In the interest of continuity of student learning, mid-year transfers between our member schools are not accepted without prior consultation between the Heads of both schools.