Any MOE Teacher currently pregnant? Fellow colleague need advice…

Question

Hi, any MOE teacher mommy here?I teach in a secondary school, and usually can only leave school at 4pm. Im a FTM in my first trim and seeing gynae at KKH under subsidised route. I was given an appointment to do counselling for down syndrome tests and blood test next Monday at 12pm. However, as the appointment does not involve seeing a doctor, there wont be an MC issued. May I know what kind of leave do you take in such a situation? Since we dont have annual leave. My RO is aware of my pregnancy but she is not very happy when I leave early or when I am not in school. She is the kind where we need to report to school to Zoom in school even though we are attending a full day course. Cannot Zoom at home. For the previous appointment where I left early at 11am, she was very unhappy. So next appointment I took MC (first MC of the year), and she went on and on about how its not a good idea again when she found out the MC was for gynae appointment. She even blamed me for not scheduling appointment after work or during weekends. But KKH does not have weekends or late appointments after 4pm. On top of that, I cannot request timing as this is a public hospital, Im under subsidy and with the covid situation. Sigh. #1stimemom #pleasehelp #advicepls #pregnancy

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

Sorry to hear abt ur predicament! Im a pri sch teacher and had my firstborn in Dec last year. Luckily for me though, my RO and sch leaders are supportive. I went to private gynae tho and managed to hve appts mostly on Sat but on days when my hubby cldnt make it on Sat, I scheduled appt on a wkday when I have the least number of teaching periods and try to swap lessons with another subject teacher whenever I cld. Wld give abt a weeks notice for relief arrangement. My RO never objected.You may want to try to ask for medical leave w/o mc as were entitled to 2 per year. If your RO objects, I think the only way for u is to bring it up to ur P. Those tests are impt for ur pregnancy and let him/her know tt u tried to schedule aft sch or on wkends but cldnt. My colleagues who were on subsidised route too also told me tt it is indeed hard to get appts. Most of them wld ask for early release or come in late and the P shld approve it.