Women teachers want ‘salwar-kameez’ but school managements still in ‘sari’ mindset

GNN | Aug 23, 2018, 2:02 PM IST|

• Popular ‘salwar-kameez’ will have to wait
• How practical is the sari questions Sonal Patel

Ahmedabad August 22, 2018. It is a well known fact that managements of different Gujarat schools do not care much about circulars being issued by the Education Department of the Gujarat Government. Adding to the long list of such examples is the recent circular issued by the department asking the school managements to allow lady teachers to wear the much comfortable salwar-kameez to work. But as it has happened in the past, most of the school managements have binned the circular without much thought.
GNN learns, it was on June 22, 2018 that a Section Officer in the Gujarat Government’s Education Department issued a circular directing school management not to harass lady teachers and employees wearing salwar-kameez. In the circular, the officer cited orders of Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama in this regard. Expectedly the circular was very well received amongst the lady teachers of Gujarat. But two months down the line, women teachers are still not allowed to wear salwar-kameez on duty, writes Bharat Yagnik for TNN.
Early this year (2018), an association of women teachers demanded they be allowed to wear the ‘salwar-kameez’ to schools in place of the sari. Better known as ‘Punjabi dress’ in Gujarat, the salwar-kameez is popular throughout India and is the most preferred dress in Gujarat. “This is because it is environment friendly and comfortable to wear in the hot and dusty climate of Gujarat,” a teacher tells us. Interestingly a majority of the teachers in government schools are women. Of the over 2lakh teachers at 34,000 government schools in Gujarat, 124,000 (62%) are women.
Unfortunately, majority of the school trustees have a different mindset and still insist that women teachers wear saris. Says Pankaj Patel, President of the Gujarat Higher Secondary Teachers Association, “Despite the circular, majority of school trustees are adamant on women teachers wearing saris.” Patel adds, “Many even argue that they have not received the said circular and are thus not bound by it,” he said.
Sonal Patel, President of the women’s wing of the Higher Secondary Teachers Association has a valid point when she questions the practical aspect of a sari. “We respect sari as a traditional formal wear, but the question is how practical the sari is. Sometimes, teachers are uncomfortable wearing saris. Many teachers have to commute long distances and saris may not be the best clothing choice for some.” With about 56% of higher secondary teachers in Gujarat being women, Sonal Patel’s association has made representation to the Gujarat Government about this.
But in the still tradition bound Gujarat, it is not just about government and grant-in-aid schools for teachers even at private schools face a similar resistance. A case in point is a circular issued by an Ahmedabad school. The circular ordered women teachers to wear saris for two days a week and for festivals and formal events. “Salwar-kameez is allowed but it should have sleeves and accompanied with a long dupatta,” reads the circular. Other latest trending clothes like palazzos, leggings, kurti-pants, chudidar, anarkali, full gown and jeans are not allowed.
Ahmedabad based teacher Shital Rajput raises a valid question when she asks why only women teachers were expected to follow such dressing codes and norms. “Our male counterparts do not have any such rules to follow,” says Rajput. Another interesting aspect pointed out by Jagruti Patel, a Vadnagar-based teacher is that the government notification only mentions the primary section. “Also saris do make the wearer conscious and in sharp contrast salwar-kameez not only covers more but is more comfortable,” says Patel.
Digvijaysinh Jadeja, President, Primary Teachers Association reminds us about a circular issued by the Mehsana DPEO in seven years back in 2011 making saris compulsory. But the circular had to be withdrawn and cancelled.