Women staff of aided PU colleges and primary schools miffed over Karnataka government not sanctioning childcare leave 4 years after order

The government of Karnataka had issued an order in 2021-22 granting 730 days’ CCL to women employees, in the cases of those with physically and mentally challenged children, subject to certain conditions. It also announced CCL for other women government employees for a total period of six months (180 days), in addition to the existing maternity leave.

Women employees of government-aided pre-university colleges and primary schools in Karnataka have complained that officers of the Department of School Education and Literacy (DSEL) are not sanctioning Child Care Leave (CCL) even four years after an order was issued granting them this facility.

The Principal Secretary of DSEL issued an order on November 15, 2024, on sanctioning of CCL to women employees of aided primary schools in Karnataka, but this has not been implemented by so far. On the other hand, the department has not yet initiated any process on giving CCL to women staff of aided PU colleges.

The government of Karnataka had issued an order in 2021-22 granting 730 days’ CCL to women employees, in the cases of those with physically and mentally challenged children, subject to certain conditions. It also announced CCL for other women government employees for a total period of six months (180 days), in addition to the existing maternity leave.

Regardless of the number of children they have, women government employees are eligible for this leave facility only until the youngest child reaches 18 years of age.

“The department should have formulated rules to sanction CCL and issued a separate circular on its implementation. However, even after two months of the order issued by the Principal Secretary of the department, this has not happened. This is depriving the women employees of the facilities provided by the government,” alleged M.P. Karabasappa, president, Karnataka State Aided Schools and Colleges Federation of Teaching and Non-Teaching Organizations.

He pointed out that following repeated requests from the organisation, an order was issued on January 7, 2024, granting CCL to women staff of aided high schools, but the same was not done for employees of aided primary schools and PU colleges.

“I have two children, aged 8 and 6. The younger child has a serious health problem. The child needs to be treated in a hospital in Bengaluru. However, due to shortage of teachers, our institution is refusing to grant leave. The government has sanctioned CCL to help women like me. But since it has not been implemented in our department, I am not getting this facility,” said a woman teacher of an aided school in Tumakuru district.