15 percent of teacher’s pay spent on saree, study finds

15 per cent of a teacher’s salary is spent on purchasing sarees and related garments to conform with the Education Ministry’s dress code, a study found.

The study conducted by Lasni Buddhibhashika Jayasooriya, a doctoral candidate of Kyushu University, Japan found that teachers in Sri Lanka spent a considerable portion of their salaries on their attire alone.

“Teachers spend quite a lot of money on sarees. In our research we found that 15% of a teacher’s salary is spent on saree related costs. You see, saree is not just the six yard fabric, there is the saree jacket, the lining fabric, tailor fees, underskirts and shoes which suit the saree,” Jayasooriya explained. The research examined how clothing of Sri Lankan female school teachers affects job performance, using a representative sample selected among school teachers from Western and Central provinces.

The researchers studied how much time is taken just for the preparation of this attire, time which they believe could be used to prepare for the lesson. Washing, ironing and draping takes a considerable amount of time when it comes to the saree, the researchers found.

But these are not the only aspects the researchers studied. “Ergonomic factors are also something we looked at. We looked at how convenient it is to move your hands, legs and walk around,” she said.

“Our argument was that a teacher’s role is a dynamic one. Teachers are supposed to move frequently while they engage with the students; they are supposed to be really active. But we found that the saree can be really restrictive. Teachers who teach subjects like physical education are especially challenged.”

The study conducted between 2018 to 2020 was supervised by Prof. Padmasiri Wanigasundara of Peradeniya University and Prof. Saliya de Silva of Saga University, Japan. “We interviewed 15 teachers and we collected data from 100 teachers using self- administrative questionnaires for this study. Not only did we find that the saree was restrictive, but we also looked at certain vulnerabilities the saree caused. We found that 30% of teachers in our sample had faced accidents due to the saree. Incidents like tripping over their own saree, the fall of the saree being entangled, especially when using public transport like the train, these were common events,” they found.

The researchers also noted of how the accepted dress code for teachers in Sri Lanka were discriminatory against females. “The irony here is that men are given the freedom to wear western attire to school. The saree was introduced to Sri Lanka around the time a nationalist movement was born around the time of independence. It’s technically not even our own dress. So, why are women the ones to safeguard Sri Lankan culture with the saree?” Lasni questioned.