Under s2.6.3 of the Education and Training Reform Act (2006) (the Act), the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) must develop, maintain and promote a Code of Conduct and Code of Ethics for the teaching profession.

The Codes apply to everyone currently registered with VIT, regardless of whether they are currently working as a teacher.

It's been over one year since the revised Victorian Teaching Profession’s Code of Conduct came into effect, and as co-regulators of the teaching profession, employers are required to ensure their staff are familiar and working with the new Code.

Employers are encouraged to facilitate a refresher workshop for existing staff each year, and an induction workshop for new staff upon employment.

To support employers and educational leaders, VIT has developed a suite of materials to assist their staff in engaging with the new Code.  

The Code of Conduct support pack

To best explore the new Code with staff, VIT recommends employers run a one-hour workshop using this support pack. It includes

• the revised Victorian Teaching Profession’s Code of Conduct
• the Victorian Teaching Profession’s Code of Ethics 
• a PowerPoint presentation and guiding notes to facilitate the workshop
• case studies to explore in the workshop (you may wish to focus only on those of most relevance to your education setting).

Codes of Conduct and Ethics seminars

In 2023 VIT will continue to deliver seminars designed to support all registered teachers and educational leaders in understanding the key changes to the Code, and help reflect on their personal and professional conduct to ensure it is aligned with the expectations of the Code.

These webinars will explore

• key revisions to the Code
• online conduct and social media in the contemporary teaching context
• using the Victorian Teaching Profession’s Code of Conduct to guide professional conduct and practice
• maintaining professionalism in a digital environment
• maintaining professional boundaries, and 
• where to find further resources.

Additional resources

You may want to use our hypothetical case study videos to stimulate discussion with your staff about what is considered appropriate professional and personal conduct for teachers, as well as appropriate strategies to prevent inappropriate conduct.

We also have a number of podcasts featuring discussions with a VIT lawyer about topics such as professional boundaries with learners, personal conduct and more.