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Article

1 Mar 2017

Author:
Daily Monitor (Uganda)

Uganda: Private school suspends teacher for breastfeeding at school premises; includes school management's comments

"Teacher suspended for breastfeeding at school"

A teacher at Child Jesus primary school in Moroto municipality is in trouble for breastfeeding her three- months- old baby at school. Agnes Nate, was given a two weeks suspension by the head teacher, Sr. Rosario John Masawe...Her suspension follows a resolution by the School management...deterring breastfeeding mothers from keeping their babies at school. According to information obtained from the school, management asked breastfeeding teachers to keep off their babies from the school compound. 

Some of the teachers say although management bars them from breastfeeding their children at school, it doesn't allow them to dash back home and breastfeed them children during break time. A breastfeeding a teacher at the school...[said] she is contemplating weaning her seven-month- old baby so as to cope with the new regulations. She expresses fear for the life of her son, who she says is sickly since he doesn't breastfeed regularly because of the new school regulation. Another teacher on maternity leave said on condition of anonymity that she is considering quitting her job after learning about the new school policy. She feels the new changes are cruel to her one and half month old baby. 

Sr. Rosario John Masawe, the head teacher Child Jesus Primary school, says management arrived at such a decision following an inspection report by health experts, which revealed that the school was vulnerable to infections due to poor hygiene and sanitation from the baby attendants. She however, says mothers can check on their children at home with permission from the school administration.