Several female staff in government schools and colleges are discontented with the requirement to wear saris for work. This practice contradicts a Government Order that allows teachers to opt for comfortable clothing.
The G.O. No. 67, issued by the Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department in 2019, reads: “Government servants are required to wear neat, clean, formal attire that is appropriate to the workplace setting, so as to maintain the decorum of the office while in duty, like saree or salwar kameez or churidhar with dupatta in the case of female government servants.” But most government or municipal corporation institutes have formed their own rules.
A government schoolteacher at Sowripalayam in Coimbatore said she was uncomfortable with the requirement to wear saris daily, particularly while teaching higher secondary classes. “Our preference is comfortable churidhars with dupattas, but the school administration has mandated wearing of cotton saris throughout the year,” she said.
Schools and colleges frequently enforce sari-wearing mandates because their administrators are not aware of the existing orders. R. Kumudam (name changed), a supervisor in-charge at a primary school in Coimbatore, said, “The District Education Officer [DEO] did not share any circular, leading to the imposition of a mandatory sari dress code for teachers.”
Confirming this, the DEO said, “We will issue circulars soon so that teachers feel more comfortable in schools.” However, enquiries with the DEOs in various parts revealed that several districts faced a similar problem. An official of the District Education Department in Karur said, “We were unaware that such a circular existed, until a petition was filed by teachers, who complained about the dress code. We then issued circulars, but not all schools are adhering to them.”
At a government school in Tiruppur district, teachers clad in salwar kameez were questioned by the school authorities. Even after the G.O. was cited, there was resistance. “Wearing churidhars is prohibited even when students are away for summer holidays. Additionally, we are required to wear saris during exam evaluation duty...,” said Roja (name changed), a higher secondary schoolteacher, who also encountered this issue while working in Karur.
A primary school in Erode has asked teachers to buy a uniform sari made of a cotton-polyester blend “to uphold decorum”. K. Vanjula, a retired teacher from the district, said, “Not only is the fabric body-hugging and uncomfortable, it is also unsuitable during summer in the region.”
Some teachers, however, have rebelled against the rules. “I saw the G.O. on the government website and began wearing churidhar. I informed the headmaster and he immediately notified all teachers,” said Padmaja Murali, a maths teacher in Coimbatore.
