Teachers told: no jammies on the job
● The department of basic education has advised teachers not to work at home in their pyjamas.
“Get fully dressed — a day in your pyjamas is likely to be a lot less productive as your brain will keep trying to put you in a nonwork mode,” says a recent 65-page handbook that was developed by the department.
It is aimed at teachers aged 60 and older, as well as those with underlying medical conditions, who have applied for a concession from provincial education departments to work from home.
The document advises teachers to go through the same morning routine as if preparing for school because “you’re not on holiday”. They are told to set a specific time to be at work.
Other suggestions include setting times to take meal breaks, switching off their electronic devices and stepping away from their work stations at designated times, informing their families about their work routine, and avoiding distracting personal media tools.
Though a uniform code of conduct hasn’t been enforced for pupils, many South
African schools have told them to dress “appropriately” for live-streamed lessons.
Independent Schools Association of SA executive director Lebogang Montjane said pupils should dress as if they were attending school and not a slumber party.
“I think we can agree that, if you haven’t changed out of clothes used for sleeping in the privacy of your bedroom at night, you are probably not in work or learning mode,” said Montjane.
When Sacred Heart College began online lessons, Bridget van Oerle set up a space in her office for her grade 8 daughter, Kia.
“When she was doing virtual classes she was using my office and desk as a school
Your brain will put you in a non-work mode Official pyjama advice
room. We discussed this and felt it was best to set up a space so there was a routine and a place to work and it felt like going to school,” said Van Oerle.
Spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said while the education department did not have online classes as an official learning platform, schools should determine pupil dress etiquette.
Professor Wayne Hugo, of the University of KwaZulu-Natal School of Education, said the longer pupils attended online classes in pyjamas from their beds, the greater the risk of the child not engaging.
“The pull of going back to sleep, watching videos and doing other things while you’re in your pyjamas on your bed, becomes more strong.”