Wearing a regressive attitude, the Punjab Government wants its teachers to shun jeans and “provocative dresses”.
Amid all the talks of gender equality, women empowerment and women liberalisation, its Education Department has recommended a virtual ban on women-teachers’ liberty to dress the way they want to.
Suggesting a ‘dress code’, it has sought prohibition on jeans. Smartphones, smart schools, but no smart teachers, the move appears to suggest.
Issued by the State Education Department director on Monday, the order pertain to imposing a “dress code” on State Government teachers. It prohibits the “female” teachers from wearing “jeans and top” in the schools.
The orders came after the department has received complaints regarding “provocative” dresses by the parents of the students.
Acting upon the same, the Government had asked the officials concerned to implement the department’s 2012 circular regarding the dress code for teachers.
As per the order, issued to all districts education offices, the officials concerned have been asked to ensure that teachers do not wear jeans when they go to school.
The orders stated that it has been observed that many female teachers wears jeans-top, and other “provocative”, “fashionable” dresses while performing their duties in the school which affects the students, and thus a dress code be implemented in the schools.
“The children look up to their teachers as a role model, and their job calls for some discipline and propriety in dressing…The department has received many complaints objecting he way some teachers dress from the parents, and thus we have decided to introduce a dress code,” a senior Education Department official told The Pioneer.
On the other hand, the decision has failed to go down well with a section of teaching community. One of the teacher from Mohali school argued that there were no such restrictions in private schools and thus should not be in the government schools too.
“I agree that a dress should not be vulgar or provocative, but there should not be any restriction on wearing jeans and tops,” she added.
Another Government schools teacher in Kharar maintained that she would not mind if any dress code be implemented, “but the teachers should be asked what kind of dress code they want. It is not right to issue any arbitrary illogical letters without any consultation with the fraternity”.
Similar orders have already been implemented in the neighbouring Haryana in 2016. It has, in fact, barred the female teachers from wearing jeans, also in the office of the education department.