AS the lively, refreshing and interesting debate on many aspects of Jamaica’s education system continues, there now arises the unfortunate and unnecessary diversion in which the Ministry of Education would seek to saddle the teachers with a new codes requirement.

Why would a Ministry of Education with a new minister try to muddy the waters by seeking to focus on the teachers’ out-of-school private activities?

Is this the new Gestapo System contemplated by a Ministry of Education which needs to be overhauled at all levels since it is bankrupt of new ideas and riddled with inefficiency?

Has the minister not got enough on her plate, that she and her workers would seek to divert the nation from focusing on the positive and place a watchman/private detective under the bed of every teacher.

Let the minister now tell the nation what will be done differently when she removes a part of section “a” of Article 55 from the Code of Regulations governing the operations of the school system.

The section now reads, “A Teacher in a public Educational Institution may have disciplinary action taken against him for ú– (a) Improper conduct” (while in school).

It means that “while in school” will be removed in the proposed new code.

I would advise the Ministry of Education to study the “Code of Ethics”, a document which the Jamaica Teachers’ Association issued in 1977, and which forms the basis of full discussion with its members at all levels at the new teachers’ seminars, contact teachers’ seminars, parish and annual meetings.

Let this nation cease shackling the teachers at every step of the way with requirements that do not apply to the ministers of government, the parsons, civil servants, doctors, attorneys, rich men, beggar men or thieves.

Let the teacher be free to practise his or her profession with dignity and grace.

We have been respected nation builders from slavery until now, so I ask the Ministry of Education what it is now trying to prove.

Dundee Hewitt writes from Mandeville, Manchester.