No Maternity Leave In Madhya Pradesh State Schools, Claim Guest Teachers

Women guest teachers across government schools in Madhya Pradesh are seeking provisions for paid maternity leaves, similar to those provided to their permanent counterparts, amid fears of facing termination or being forced to resign, even as the administration recently held a meeting to review the issue.

Permanent teachers at state government-run schools are entitled to 180 days of paid maternity leaves. Guest teachers, however, are not provided such benefits and face the risk of salary deduction in case they go on maternity leave.

"When I got pregnant, they (school administration) encouraged me to keep working, saying they would look into it if a rule (not being entitled to paid maternity leaves) existed. After my delivery, I was forced to quit my job. I never wanted to quit; the school administration ) had promised me that I would be informed of any changes. I received no updates and I wasn't informed before my name was removed (from the guest teachers' list). I belong to a middle class family and losing this job has been very challenging. It's been two years, and I still have no work," Priya Nema, who worked as a guest teacher at a Government school in Kalapeepal, Shajapur district, said. She joined on July 22, 2019 and was removed on November 1, 2022.

Similarly, Jagdish Parmar said his daughter-in-law (who is a guest teacher at a school) is pregnant and has been advised bed rest, but is unable to go on leave.

"She had suffered a miscarriage once earlier. Now, doctors have advised her bed rest but she is unable to do so because of her job," Parmar said.

In 2018, the government of Madhya Pradesh had issued an order, allowing unpaid maternity leaves to women guest teachers in government Colleges. But the guest teachers in schools, however, claimed they are still not allowed to opt for maternity leaves.

Guest Teachers Association state secretary, Ravikant Gupta, said: "We are not granted any leaves. Even when we are unwell. In February 2014, it was proposed to offer 13 days of leave and six months of maternity leave for women, but no official order has been issued. We've approached ministers and state officials with our request but in vain."

Officials in the state education department acknowledged the problem faced by pregnant women guest teachers at government institutes, saying it has prompted several of them to either quit or face termination without notice.

"We have reviewed the rules extensively and there are no such provisions for guest teachers. We haven't received any formal complaints so far but we have sought the guidance of higher authorities and are awaiting further instructions," Bhopal district education officer Narendra Ahirwar said.

Social worker Meeta Wadhwa expressed concerns over the absence of such provisions for pregnant women employees. "The government has good provisions for regular employees but the guest teachers are left out. It is troubling that women are either forced to resign or denied leaves. This affects both their mental and physical health. This issue should be reconsidered," Wadhwa said.