Ruel Reid has referred a proposed code of conduct for educators and school boards to the National Council on Education for its study and recommendations, the Ministry of Education said yesterday.

“The referral comes amid increased public discourse about a concept paper on the proposed code,” the ministry said in a news release, adding that Reid, the education minister, has noted that there is no regulation or guideline relating to teachers, principals and members of school boards engaging in political activity.

He said this is an area that needs to be clarified with respect to conflicts of interest and the use of public property for political engagement.

Reid’s referral is an apparent attempt to prevent what was shaping up to be heavy backlash against at least one aspect of the concept paper which proposes a range of regulations that would effectively encroach on the right to freedom of expression among teachers and school board members who are politically active.

The proposal that has received the most attention states that “school board members are not allowed to criticise the minister of education or Ministry of Education personnel in any public fora, including social media”.

Reid’s referral of the proposed code of conduct to the National Council on Education also came after veteran journalist Cliff Hughes made the recommendation on his mid-morning talk show Cliff Hughes Online on Nationwide Radio yesterday.

The National Council on Education is a statutory body, responsible to the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, that was formed to address a wide range of issues affecting the education process in a non-partisan and strategic way. It is also intended to contribute to greater community involvement in the management of educational institutions.