Unmarried teacher....pregnant?!

[Girly922]

Being in the UK there is so much protection for pregnant women in employment law I really wouldn't worry too much about that side of it. As for the fact that you are not married yet, you are in a committed relationship with the intention to marry.

If your birth control was to fail and you fell pregnant that way, there'd be nothing they could do or say. I'd put more emphasis on the fact that you and your OH are fully committed to one another rather than whether you are married or not.

 

[SarahBear]

(only read first post)

Well, you can either take your chances, or you can spend less money on your wedding. If you can afford a baby, you can afford a marriage license. If you can afford a marriage license, you can afford to get married.

 

[loeylo]

I worry about this too. I am just finishing my first year in teaching and don't have a permanent job yet. Realistically, I could take years for me to be made permanent although it could be much quicker. I am currently applying for a mix of schools, some of such are state run non denominational schools (although they are technically still Christian) and some catholic schools, with a private special school working with severe behavioural problems!
For the state non denominational schools it shouldn't be too much of a problem, although it is still pretty unheard of. In the catholic schools it is quite a worry.
I am really scared about being pregnant in the behavioural unit though.
Also, I am 25 but I look maybe 18 at the most. Too young to be a teacher but in corridors of new schools I have been mistaken for a pupil :s

 

[Eleanor ace]

They can't fire you but depending on the school (and the students, their prents, the governers etc) they could make it pretty uncomfortable working there, and you could find yourself not having your contract renewed since you're an NQT. But I'm sure you'll know yourself whether it is generally a supportive environment and how they have handled previous situations which are sometimes frowned on by Christian institutions- teachers living with their partners before they're married for example.
I was teaching on a supply contract at a Christian school and it was going well, they had a new teaching position coming up and I'd applied, I was attending meetings and they talked about "my" class, it was pretty much a done deal. Then I told them I was pregnant and a week later I was told that the role wasn't going to be available, and then that they didn't need me for supply anymore- they didn't even let me know in person, my head of department waved me off and said see you next week, and then I get a call 30 minutes later from my agency saying they didn't need me anymore. Ouch. However another school (also Christian) that I was supplying at were lovely when they found out I was pregnant, really supportive and totally unfazed by me not being married. Although there were a few teachers who didn't acknowledge my pregnancy until I was married (at 7 months pregnant), but they weren't horrible or anything.

 

[LouOscar01]

My contract is permanent so I don't need to worry too much about that. If they do make it horrible then I will go back for a bit after mat leave and then look for a position elsewhere.

 

[LouOscar01]

I worry about this too. I am just finishing my first year in teaching and don't have a permanent job yet. Realistically, I could take years for me to be made permanent although it could be much quicker. I am currently applying for a mix of schools, some of such are state run non denominational schools (although they are technically still Christian) and some catholic schools, with a private special school working with severe behavioural problems!
For the state non denominational schools it shouldn't be too much of a problem, although it is still pretty unheard of. In the catholic schools it is quite a worry.
I am really scared about being pregnant in the behavioural unit though.
Also, I am 25 but I look maybe 18 at the most. Too young to be a teacher but in corridors of new schools I have been mistaken for a pupil :s

I look really young, but working in primary this is less of a problem

The class I am having next year has a violent pupil in it so I am anxious about the potential consequences of this.

 

[WhiteKhocol8]

LouOscar will you have an aide in with the violent student? We have one in our school and there is no way a pregnant teacher could safely (for the student, the teacher and her unborn baby) deal with many of the confrontations they experience without assistance.

And yes I know what you mean about looking young as a teacher! We are lucky over here that students wear uniform so you can tell who's in authority by the plain clothes!

 

[LouOscar01]

Ours wear uniform too, and luckily im in year 2 so they are only 6 and 7 so I am taller than them

Will have someone to work with the student hopefully but it's still not foolproof.

 

[MikaylasMummy]

In our dioscess I know they don't hire teachers if they are even living with a man unmarried!but I'm not sure what would happen if they were already an employee and got pregnant.im in Australia

 

[aknqtpie]

I am not sure how the marriage license thing works in the UK. But I know at least over here you can go get a marriage license and have a friend get ordained through the court to perform a legal ceremony. It was fairly inexpensive. If you guys are planning on getting married eventually, there is no reason why you couldn't do this to CYA.. and then have a bigger ceremony later. My late-DH and I got legally married and then had our actual wedding 7 months later.

Just an idea.

 

[Teri7489]

I don't think you have anything to worry about. I went to a Catholic school and a few of my teachers who weren't married had babies. No one said a word about it. It's not as if you are sleeping around, discussing it in school then getting pregnant. Life has changed from all those 'rules' years ago. Xxx

 

[cherrylips100]

I really don't think you should have to worry about losing your job. Employment laws in the UK are not dictated by religion and I believe they could be held to account if they were to be judgmental, regardless of the schools ethos.
You are in a committed relationship, if you want a baby then go for it. Love and a happy home is all a child needs, marriage is just an extra option but that's a story for another thread!

 

[bellaxgee]

have you thought about having a small civil ceremony to just be married and maybe later having a big wedding?