Now, Himachal govt issues dress code for teachers
SHIMLA: The Himachal Pradesh higher education department has asked all school managements to ensure that teachers are formally attired at work.
The notification, which will be implemented from next week, directs managements to enforce the dress code for teachers strictly failing which they will be issued notices.
Women teachers need to be attired in “sober suits and sarees”, while male teachers have been asked to be dressed in formal trousers and shirts.
“I am against introducing uniforms for school teachers. But by and large, teachers should dress up decently, and wear formal clothes,” said Raman Mehta, teacher at Government Primary School, Bhutti.
“Flying squads will carry out random checks in schools to check defaulters ,” higher education director BL Bin ta said on Friday .“It has been observed that teachers dress casual ly to school. This does not leave a good impression on children ,” Binta said.
He said the government even plans to introduce uniforms for teachers, particularly in schools affiliated to the Himachal Pradesh School Board of Education.
Welcoming the move, Yugraj Singh, 46, a teacher at a government college in Dharamshala, said, “Teachers are role models for students. A formal attire suits them best. Simple and sober clothes will remove disparity among teachers and keep the focus on academics.”
There are nearly 70,000 teachers in primary, middle, high and senior secondary schools in Himachal.
Last year, the department banned mobile phones in schools after students were found using them. The education department’ s orders come in the wake of new directions issued by chief secretary VC Pharka.
Soon after the Himachal Pradesh high court reprimanded a junior engineer for dressing up casually for a court hearing , the department of personnel asked all officers to ensure that employees are attired“modest ly” in office. The advisory warned of strict action against defaulters.
The orders did not go down well with junior officials of the Himachal Pradesh secretariat and the employees union has demanded a dress code instead of a ban on casual dressing.