Professor loses family-planning appeal

After an associate professor was dismissed by South China University of Technology for allegedly violating the family planning policy, his appeal was rejected by the school's authorities, Southern Metropolis Daily reported on Friday.

The university made its decision on Nov 19, saying that Cai Zhiqi and his wife had violated the family planning rule by having two children.

According to the report, the couple had their first child in 2007, when Cai was studying in the United States. His wife was six months’ pregnant when Cai returned to the Guangzhou university in September 2009.

The second child has a permanent residence registration in Hangzhou, the couple's hometown.

The family planning commission of the university claimed in December 2012 that the couple had violated the family planning rule and asked school authorities to dismiss Cai from his teaching post and his wife from her PhD studies at the university.

The university decided to dismiss Cai but not his wife.

Cai cited a regulation made by the country's family planning authorities in 2002 that allows certain returned overseas scholars to have a second child, saying their situation conformed to the rule.

He appealed to the school on Dec 2 but nevertheless was rejected on Thursday.

Cai said he will appeal to the Ministry of Education and provincial labor authorities. His lawyer said he will apply for labor arbitration to Guangzhou's arbitration committee next week.