Women suffering miscarriage forced back to work in schools

Pay arrangements that can force women back into classrooms weeks after having miscarriages have been described as inhumane.

The strong feelings on the issue were aired by secondary school teachers, who backed plans to seek changes to policy relating to pregnancy-related illness and maternity leave in schools.

The Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (ASTI) is to negotiate for all pregnancy-related illness since September 2014 to be recognised as such, rather than being considered part of the general sick-leave scheme. The unanimously-passed motion will also see the union seek maternity leave for women who miscarry or deliver stillborn at any stage during pregnancy.

Dublin North Central branch member, Sheila Flynn, said if a woman suffers pregnancy loss after 24 weeks’ gestation, she is entitled to full maternity leave, but she is entitled to nothing if it happens before this: “She is expected to recover from it as though it were a common cold or flu. Unfortunately, I speak from personal experience when I say that recovery from miscarriage is physically, emotionally, and psychologically painful, and it is long.

“To allow a situation where a teacher may find herself in front of a class of pupils which just a week previously had thought she was going to be having a baby, and expect her to carry on as normal, is inhumane,” said Ms Flynn, to applause.

She outlined the circumstances of a member who had used her full entitlement of 92 days paid sick leave to recover after breaking her leg while taking pupils on a school trip, before returning to work due to inability to remain out on half pay.

“Subsequent to this, she had a miscarriage, but because she had already used her full ordinary entitlement, she continued to come to school and teach her classes throughout her ordeal,” she said.

Enda Whelton of the Stillorgan branch, and member of the union’s standing committee, said miscarriage is close to everyone, given that there are 4,000 each year in Ireland and it happens in around one-in-four pregnancies.

“Is there any level of hurt greater than that sinking feeling of loss? It’s heartbreaking. That’s such little time to recover from it. I remember having to sit down and explain to my young daughter why things went wrong. The last government have been very cowardly and inhumane in their treatment of women who have pregnancy-related illness of any sort,” said Mr Whelton.