Teachers’ new casual clothes force govt. to bring back old dress code

By Saman Indrajith

Education Minister Susil Premajayantha told Parliament yesterday that he had referred to the Ministry of Public Administration the matter of female teachers wearing clothes, other than sarees to school, on the basis of a government circular.

The Minister said that he had asked the Ministry of Public Administration to amend that circular at issue.

Minister Premajayantha said so responding to a question by SLPP MP Jayantha Samaraweera, who said he had seen pictures of female teachers reporting to work in salwar kameez and frocks on Monday and asked what action the Education Ministry would be taking in this regard.

The Minister said that the particular circular was issued to public servants to report to work in comfortable clothes other than the previously stipulated dress code as a measure during the pandemic times. “Teachers in government schools too are public servants,” the Minister said.

He said that he too had seen the pictures referred to by the MP. The pictures were alleged to have been taken in schools after those teachers had reported to work in clothes, other than sarees. However, I do not believe that those pictures had been taken in schools. They seemed to have been captured in some places other than in schools. Let’s wait and see the response of teachers after the amended circular is issued by the Ministry of Public Administration,” the Minister said.