Assam government sets dress code for teachers; bans t-shirt, jeans, leggings

NEW DELHI: The department of school education, Assam government has issued dress code regulations for teachers of all educational institutions in the state.

As per the new regulations, male teachers are expected to wear formal shirts and pants and avoid wearing casual clothes such as t-shirt and jeans. Casual wear has been banned for women teachers as well – t-shirts, jeans and leggings have all been banned. Instead, the female teachers are expected to wear salwar-suit, saree or mekhela-chador. Further, all teachers are expected to wear “clean, modest decent clothes in sober colours”.

The official notice states that the dress code has been introduced because “it has come to the notice of the undersigned that some teachers of educational institutions are found in the habit of wearing the dress of their choice which sometimes does not appear to be acceptable by the public at large”. Further, commenting on the impact of the teachers, the notice adds, “while discharging their duties, it has become necessary to follow a dress code that should reflect a sense of decorum, decency, professionalism and seriousness of purpose at the workplace.”

There are some misgivings regarding dress code prescribed for school teachers. I am sharing the notification for clarity. pic.twitter.com/m4k3sQW4t6

— Ranoj Pegu (@ranojpeguassam) May 20, 2023

The Assam government has also cautioned that teachers who violate the dress code regulations will “invite disciplinary action.”

Meanwhile, in a recent parliamentary standing committee report, it was found that 9.8 lakh teaching positions are vacant in government schools across India of which 2.5 lakh vacancy is at the secondary level.