Education Ministry mulls free sarees for teachers

While female teachers in several areas are still reporting to work in casual clothing instead of sarees, citing the high prices of sarees in the prevailing economic situation, the Ministry of Education is currently assessing the possibility of providing sarees free of charge to female teachers who are unable to buy sarees due to economic hardships. 

Speaking to The Morning, Minister of Education Dr. Susil Premajayantha said: “If there are female teachers who find it difficult to purchase sarees, we will try to provide them with sarees free of charge. We are currently looking into the possibility of doing so; however, some teachers are reluctant to obtain sarees for free. This saree issue was brought up by only one trade union leader, and teachers have not said that they have any issue.”

He said that the Ministry of Education will make arrangements through the Zonal Education Offices to obtain information about female teachers who have difficulties in purchasing sarees. When queried as to whether the Zonal Education Offices have been instructed to provide the Ministry with such information, he said that necessary instructions will be given to do so only when it will be possible to procure sarees to be distributed. 

Ceylon Teachers’ Union General Secretary Joseph Stalin had recently requested the Ministry of Education to apply a circular issued by the Ministry of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils, and Local Government – which states that female public servants can report to work in any appropriate attire of their choice, instead of only the saree – to female teachers as well, thereby allowing them to report to schools in casual clothing.

However, Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils, and Local Government M.M.P.K. Mayadunne had stated last week that the circular in question was not relevant to schools, taking into account a request made by Dr. Premajayantha to define the same. Defying the said announcement, female teachers in several schools had reported to work in casual clothing, after which it was reported that the Ministry of Education had issued a circular making it mandatory for teachers to wear a saree when reporting to work.

However, a representative from the CTU told The Morning that female teachers in several areas still report to work in casual clothing instead of wearing sarees or Kandyan sarees (osaris).