Attire remark: Teachers take jibe at minister

Ajay Joshi

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, July 13

The state Education Department always remains the subject of discussion for one or the other reason, but surprisingly, this time the remarks put forth by the Education Minister Om Prakash Soni took everyone by surprise. As per his knowledge, the male government school teachers wearing kurta-pyjama to school don’t send out a good message.

He said, “Teachers are the role-model for the children coming to school for education and they are the nation builders therefore, the casual traditional attire paints a poor picture of a teacher’s personality.” Soni advised teachers to wear shirts and trousers like teachers of private schools.

When the minister’s statement became viral on social media, teachers took a jibe at him and said, “The minster should first look into the condition of government schools, which need to be revamped, only then the ‘Real Change’ would be reflected in the state.

Also, he should focus on resolving the long pending demand of regularising of the contractual teachers instead of removing kurta- pyjama said, one teacher.

The other teacher commented, “If dress code decides the role model, the minister should first ask Navjot Singh Siddhu and Chief Minister to get rid of their ‘Salwar and Chudidar’.

During the tenure of the previous Akali-BJP government, the Education Department officials also issued the introduction of a dress code for women teachers, for which a protest was taken out by teachers.

Meanwhile, Om Parkash Soni clarified that these were his personal remarks as the Education Minister of the state.

The minister also added that there were reports of unchecked bribery in the Education Department over transfers and as the head of the department, he was announcing a Rs 5 lakh reward to anyone exposing such bribery cases.