Article 6: The following are prohibited and liable to disciplinary sanctions and/or legal proceedings: 1) 2) 3) 4) sexual relationship between any member of staff and students; any form of sexual harassment of students; sexual touching of students; the disclosure of any confidential information concerning the personal or family situation of a pupil; 5) acceptance or solicitation of a financial, material or any kind of advantage, in return for grade, academic progress of a pupil or other special treatment, whether inside or outside the school; 6) physical assault on students; 7) the consumption of tobacco, the sale and consumption of narcotics or any other psychotropic substance in and around schools and in the administrative services of the Ministry. CHAPTER IV: SANCTIONS Article 7: Any member of staff of public and private institutions under the Ministry of National and Technical Education who violates the provisions of this code, is liable to one of the disciplinary sanctions provided for by the General Statute of the Public Service. These are: 1. Frist-degree sanctions: - Warning; - Query; - Automatic transfer. 2. Second-degree sanctions: - Withdrawal from the promotion matrix; - Reduction of salary within the maximum proportion of 25% and for a period not exceeding thirty (30) days; - Temporary suspension for a period not exceeding six (06) months. This sanction entails the loss of all entitlements with the exception of family allowances; - Lowering of grade; - Lowering of rank; - Revocation with or without suspension of pension rights. The imposition of second-degree sanctions falls within the competence of the Minister of Public Service, following the opinion of the Disciplinary Council. Article 8: The disciplinary sanctions applicable to trainee officials are: 1. Firs-degree sanctions - Warning; - Query; - Reduction of salary within the maximum limit of 25% and for a period not exceeding thirty days. 2. Second-degree sanctions: - Permanent exclusion from employment. Article 9: The immediate superior of the accused official initiates the disciplinary procedure by a written query letter addressed to him. If it is necessary to seize the Disciplinary Council, the Minister of National Education sends a detailed report of the facts to the Minister of Public Service. 3