Education minister orders suspension of two officials

CHANDIGARH: Upset over the instructions sent to teachers of government schools to dress “decently”, Punjab minister of state for education Ar una Ch au dha ryon Tuesday suspended two officials of her department with immediate effect.

Chaudhary said that the department officials had sent the instructions to schools across the state at their own level without taking their seniors into confidence. “These instructions reflect an old mindset. I do not agree with them. When we are encouraging girls to do well in every field and working on women empowerment, instructions on how to dress and what to wear are not acceptable ,” Ch au dhary said over phone.

The minister said she had given orders for suspension of deputy director Amrish Shukla and assistant director Amarbir Singh for issuing without proper authorisation a letter regarding dress code containing very deni- grating language to the female teachers. “Any affront to the dignity of the nation builder teaching community will not be tolerated. Such a language in respect of the female teaching staff smacks of regressive approach ,” she said.

The instructions issued in the name of director public instructions (secondary education) Sukh dev SinghKahl on had asked all district education officers and school principals to ensure that teachers wear“decent” clothes to schools. The department has withdrawn the instructions.

“Sarkari schoolan vich ad hy ap aka an du ara,kh as ta ur te ladies adhyapakaan duara, bhadkeele pehnawe pa ke apni duty keeti jaandi hai. Kai ladies teachers duara jeans-top te kai tarah de uksaau, fashionable dress pehen ke school duty keeti jaandi hai... jis da vidyarthiyan ’teasarpendahai( Teachers, particularly female teachers, wear bright/glitteryclothes on dutyin government schools. Many female teachers wear jeans and top, and many types of provocative and fashionable clothes on duty.... .which has an effect on the students,” read the instructions.

Shukla denied any fault or intention to embarrass the state government. “There was a complaint to the CM in writing regarding teachers not coming to schools dressed properly. The letter was sent to the department. As there were already instructions issuedin 2012on the orders ofthe then director general school education and endorsed again in 2014, the same were simply reiterated. There was probably an oversight,” the deputy director said, admitting they should have checked with the government.

› When we are encouraging girls to do well in every field, instructions on how to dress and what to wear are not acceptable. ANURADHA CHAUDHARY, minister of state for education