Teacher fined for getting pregnant sparks debate
Print Edition
A CONTRACT dispute involving a pregnant teacher in central China has sparked debate on the Internet.
The teacher at Shangbo Primary School in Shangqiu, Henan Province, posted pictures online of a contract she signed with the school, according to the Voice of China.
She claimed that the school refused her application for maternity leave and then fined her 800 yuan (US$123) for breach of contract.
According to the agreement, the school “guarantees rest and vacation for its teachers,” but any teacher who “interrupts class schedules” due to pregnancy should pay 2,000 yuan as compensation for recruiting and paying replacements.
“Teachers ... should get pregnant in the second semester. If they get pregnant in the first semester, causing them to stop working or resign, they should pay 2,000 yuan,” it said.
Liu Zhu, headmaster of the private school, said the measure was designed to “prevent disturbances to general school schedules.”
“We will not stop anyone from becoming pregnant as long as their pregnancies do not interfere with the curriculum,” he said.
All of the school’s 30-plus female teachers agreed to sign the contract, which is renewed annually, he said.
On the Internet, however, some people accused the school of breaking the law.
“It’s ridiculous,” read one post.
“This is obviously against the law, the teacher should file a lawsuit,” read another.
According to China’s Labor Law, all women are entitled to maternity leave, while the law on the protection of the rights of women and children stipulates that labor contracts should not contain any items that stop women from getting married or pregnant.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the case.
Though unlawful, job discrimination against women still pervades Chinese society.
According to a poll by the All-China Women’s Federation, about 75 percent of women said they were fired after getting married or pregnant.
Wu Liqing, who works in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, said most of her female friends and classmates have experienced job discrimination, although most of them have stayed silent.
“For us, mum’s the word, even when our rights are abused,” Wu said.
With the changes to the one-child policy, the situation is likely to get worse, said Wen Jun, head of the Sociology Institute of East China Normal University.
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