Mumbai, April 20: Teachers in Maharashtra’s private schools may be banned from investing in stock market if a proposal by the education department is implemented. Reason: the department considers such investments as gambling. A proposal mooted by the department says the teachers in private schools could invest only in cooperative banks and credit societies.

The Government has come up with a ‘code of conduct’ for secondary school teachers, including those in private schools. The draft code of conduct has been circulated among teachers’ unions.

The proposal also puts restrictions on investments and business by family members of the teachers. If any member has an insurance policy, or is involved in insurance business or any other business, it needs to be reported to the Deputy Director of Education, according to the proposal. It also stipulates that a teacher should not marry a person whose ex-partner is alive and also bars teachers from entering into a marriage contract sans permission from school management. The proposal also adds that marriage to a foreigner should be reported to the management. The proposal also puts restrictions on teachers’ participation in social or political movement and asks them to convince family members to do so. They would also be required to inform the management if a family member wants to contest election.

On occasions like birthdays, marriage anniversary, or any religious or community programme, a teacher should not accept contribution of more than Rs 500 from relatives, the proposal says.

There is also a ban on exchanging gifts with friends and relatives. The proposal clarifies that the word ‘gift’ means treat from friends, free travelling or a stay at someone’s house. The proposal says teachers should not write or edit any book or article. Even if they want to write something without mentioning their name or using an alias, permission has to be taken from the management, it says.

MLC Kapil Patil who raised the issue in the Legislative Council, condemned the proposal, saying such proposal should be thrown away. If the Government implements the proposal it would be curtailing political and civil rights of teachers given by the Constitution, Patil said.

He said it was not only the teacher but his family also who would be restricted from doing certain duties. Teachers' organisations would not allow the Government to implement this proposal, he said.