Chennai:
Tamil Nadu school education department has added a new curriculum, this time for its teachers - dignified dressing!
A recent circular asks teachers to come dressed in a dignified way, in tune with their noble profession and culture. It adds that teachers ought to be dressed "in a way that would not promote inequality and temptation among students". The message is clear. Women teachers are yet again tacitly asked to cover themselves up properly; they are held accountable for the unacceptable behaviour of students, rather boys!
It's a circular that smacks of a parochial thought that still sees women's outfit responsible for a man's behaviour. Not that women teachers come to schools dressed inappropriately. Schools that ought to be fountainhead of healthy thoughts, practices and mind set seem to be nurturing male chauvinism in the minds of young people.
Lewd comments and offensive glares are bound to happen in class rooms and play fields. Will "the dignified dressing" prescription for women teachers end that? Instead of this narrow minded outlook, shouldn't schools, teachers and authorities address the issue and help students respect women and develop a healthy mind set?
But honestly, the school education department should worry about lot more important things - most government and private schools have no hygienic toilets for girl students, leave alone women teachers. And it may augur well if enough time and devotion is given to enhance quality of teaching in schools that would rivet students' attention on teaching than on the teacher.
And above all don't make it the job of Principals and Head Masters to look at what their women teachers wear. Let them do some teaching.