Can a Teacher Take Leave During the School Year? Labour Inspectorate Explains
Parents at Alūksne Ernst Glück State Gymnasium objected after a teacher went on leave shortly before the autumn school break. The State Labour Inspectorate says the law does not forbid teachers from doing so.
At Alūksne Ernst Glück State Gymnasium in Latvia, one teacher went on leave shortly before the students' school break. Parents say this harms the learning process and pupils' performance. The State Labour Inspectorate says teachers have the right to take leave during the school year.
What the labour inspectorate says
The inspectorate notes that the Labour Law does not prohibit teachers from taking annual paid leave or unpaid leave during the school year. Organising the learning process is the responsibility of the school.
Inspectorate representative Dainis Deigelis stresses that school holidays are not leave for a teacher but working time. He says the leave schedule may be drawn up in such a way that leave cannot be granted at another time. In this case there is no violation, and no rule bans taking leave before a school break. An employee may choose the desired time by agreeing it with the employer, while the employer may ensure continuity of work.
Where parents can turn
If parents object to how lessons are organised during a teacher's absence, they should first approach school management. If no agreement is reached and they believe full-value education is not being provided, they can turn to the local education board or the school's founder, here the local municipality. The last instance is the State Education Quality Service.
The school and the ministry respond
Gymnasium director Uva Grencione-Lapsenjete says the learning process did not suffer. According to her, parents have not reported a problem to the school. Some teachers take a day or, as in this case, a week of leave before the autumn break, but continuity of teaching is ensured. The school is very large and lessons are not lost. She adds that such practice is uncommon, and at times she has not approved leave because continuity could not be guaranteed.
Linda Jakobsone-Gavala of the Ministry of Education and Science stresses that pupils must receive a full learning process and school management is responsible for keeping teaching high-quality even when a teacher is absent. The decision on granting leave is made by the head of the institution, who must assess how teaching will be organised.
