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Teachers’ trade unions divided over saree issue

07 Nov 2022

By Buddhika Samaraweera Teachers’ trade unions are divided over the matter of making it non-mandatory for teachers (female) to wear sarees, with the Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU) saying it will launch a programme to get the Government to allow them to attend school in comfortable attire, and the Ceylon Teachers’ Services Union (CTSU) saying that there is a fair need to make the saree non-mandatory for teachers, but that the main struggle is to convince the Government to increase their salaries. When contacted by The Morning, CTU Vice President Rasika Handapangoda said that the union had recently requested the Secretary to the Ministry of Education in writing to take the necessary steps to apply the circular issued by the Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils, and Local Government, allowing the female public servants report to duty wearing comfortable and suitable clothes, instead of sarees, to teachers as well, adding however, that the Ministry of Education has not responded to that request in a favourable manner. “Instead of looking into the possibility of the request made by teachers, the Education Minister is propagating that our request is part of some conspiracy hatched by Western countries. He made that statement wearing  fully-Western attire. Also, if this is such a conspiracy, the main culprit should be the Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils, and Local Government, who issued this circular. Therefore, we would like to ask the Minister of Education to not make such baseless statements,” she said. Noting that the process of introducing educational reforms is to begin within the coming year, Handapangoda said that teachers will be required to wear attirebother than the saree at least once a week to perform the relevant activities under the relevant reforms. When the Education Ministry is to implement some reforms that will require the teachers to attend schools in such attire, she said that it is sarcastic that Dr. Premajayantha is equating a request made to the same effect to a Western conspiracy. “What we say is that teachers should be given the opportunity to come to schools in comfortable clothing. Those who teach subjects such as sports, dancing, and drama cannot teach well in sarees. It is the person who wears a certain clothing that should decide whether it is comfortable or not. We don't think that clergy or politicians have the right to decide this. Therefore, we will continue to educate the teachers about this matter, and launch a programme to force the Government to make the saree non-mandatory for teachers,” she added. As Sri Lanka has signed the relevant international Teacher’s Charters, Handapangoda said that the Government should consult the teachers’ trade unions when making decisions regarding teachers, but that the Government or Education Ministry do not do so at present. Therefore, she said, they will oppose the Education Ministry’s moves to keep the saree mandatory for teachers, and added that there are many other issues for the Education Minister to focus on, such as the shortage of teachers, non-provision of school textbooks to students, and lack of nutrition for schoolchildren. Meanwhile, CTSU Deputy Secretary Visaka Gothami Abeyrathna, speaking to The Morning, said that there is a fair need to make the saree non-mandatory for teachers, but that there are many other issues in the education sector at present that more attention should be paid to. She also said that following the teachers’ request to apply the aforesaid circular to teachers, certain parties are misusing the matter to cover up the plethora of issues that the country is facing. “We agree that there is an issue about the saree. By now, a normal saree costs more than Rs. 5,000. In addition, there should be a blouse and many other things. Altogether, we should pay about Rs. 10,000 when we buy a saree. There is no way for teachers to survive when they spend their salary on sarees. That is why we say the Government should allow us to come to schools in appropriate and comfortable clothing. However, this does not mean that this is the most serious issue in the country. There are many other issues to be discussed. Instead of discussing them, almost everyone including politicians and clergy have started talking about our attire,” she said. Speaking further, Abeyrathna said that certain categories of teachers such as primary teachers face many difficulties in wearing sarees, as they have to deal with small children, an issue that even the children’s parents face. In other parts of the world, she said, teachers are allowed to report to work in the clothing of their choice, and the education system in such countries is also at an advanced level. Therefore, she said, there is no point in bringing in educational reforms while sticking into conservative ideologies such as those mandating that teachers “must wear” sarees. When queried by The Morning as to whether the CTSU would launch any programme to obtain the permission of the Ministry of Education for teachers to wear attire of their choice, she said that the CTSU is mainly focused on demanding the Government to increase teachers’ salaries. She said that one of the reasons for teachers to request permission to wear clothing other than the saree is that they face difficulties in purchasing sarees at present. Therefore, she said, if the Government needs teachers to wear sarees, it should also make teachers financially capable of buying sarees. Furthermore, commenting on certain statements by Buddhist monks on the issue, both Handapangoda and Abeyrathna said that they (Buddhist monks) have no right to intervene in a matter that is not of national importance. They said that the issue which has arisen with regard to the saree can be resolved within the education sector, and that there is no need for Buddhist monks to intervene in it.  They further said that although such Buddhist monks have claimed that allowing teachers to come to schools in a clothing other than the saree will have a negative impact on the culture, teachers’ wearing of sarees for time immemorial has not had a significant positive or negative impact on the culture, or any other social aspect. Meanwhile, endorsing Dr. Premajayantha's statement, Indika Kaluarachchi of the National Teachers’ Movement (NTM) alleged that there is a hidden agenda behind the proposal made by CTU General Secretary Joseph Stalin regarding female teachers’ attire. “According to Stalin, wearing a saree is expensive and unaffordable for teachers. However, are there only female teachers? No, there are male teachers too. They also have to spend on shirts, trousers, shoes, and belts. They face the same issues that female teachers face. So, what if male teachers also come to schools in shorts and t-shirts, wearing a pair of slippers? Then students will try to do the same thing.  “This is not something that Stalin did out of recklessness or arbitrariness. This is something that he did upon receiving dollars from non-governmental organisations and the West at the behest of his ulterior motives. This is an attempt to create a conflict between teachers and students. This is what the Western forces have wanted to happen in this country,” he claimed. Dr. Premajayantha last week said that the current dress code for schoolteachers will never be changed under any circumstance. He firmly noted that such decisions could not be taken considering the request of a single trade union as it does not represent the entire teacher community. Allowing teachers to change their attire by letting them wear different styles, he claimed, may lead to setting a bad example for children, where they will also want to follow numerous fashions and trends at school. “Under no circumstance will the Education Ministry change the official dress code of teachers. We should not change our culture to the likes of the West. I believe that about 99% of our teachers do not agree with changing the dress code. Let’s continue to wear our routine attire and keep our culture. Let’s ensure we raise our children with discipline.” added Dr. Premajayantha.


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