Nagaon teachers object to 30-day advance notice rule for maternity leave

A new order requiring school teachers in Assam's Nagaon district to apply for leave at least 30 days in advance, including maternity leave, has drawn strong objections from teachers and school staff.

The directive was issued by the newly appointed Inspector of Schools, Nagaon District Circle, Narmada Chetia, The Sentinel reported.

What the order says

The notification, marked urgent and signed on November 6 (Memo No. IS/NDC/Leave/N-K/2005), tells heads of schools that teachers and employees in the district must submit leave applications at least 30 days before the leave starts.

It specifically names maternity leave, child-care leave and earned leave as categories for which women teachers and employees must apply a month ahead.

According to the report, the Inspector of Schools has clarified that the 30-day rule will not apply to leave sought on emergency grounds.

Why teachers are unhappy

Teachers have questioned how the rule can work for maternity leave. Doctors give an expected delivery date, but a baby can arrive well before or after it for medical and other reasons, they point out, making a fixed advance application difficult or meaningless.

They have raised similar concerns about earned leave, saying it is not always possible to know a month in advance when it will be needed.

The report noted that the state Education Department has not issued any recent policy introducing such a requirement, and that no similar notification appears to have been issued in other districts. That has led teachers to ask whether a district-level office can add conditions that are not in the state's leave rules.

What happens next

Maternity leave for government employees is governed by state service rules, and teachers' associations are likely to take the matter up with the district and directorate. The Inspector of Schools had not publicly responded to the criticism beyond the emergency-leave clarification.

The order comes as Assam's teachers are already in a restive mood, with several associations planning protests this month over service matters.

NEInsider will update this story if the Education Department or the district office revises the order.