Don’t confine teachers with dress code

The Chandigarh Administration's recent proposal to enforce a mandatory uniform for government school teachers marks a troubling departure from respecting personal dignity toward imposing dull conformity. For years, the accepted dress code, which is shirts and trousers for men, sarees or salwar-kameez for women, has upheld professionalism without suffocating individuality.

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Now, the move toward a fixed uniform risks reducing teachers to mere cogs in a machine, erasing the very personalities that ignite young minds. Our nation's vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat, a self-reliant India is rooted in empowering youth to think independently and pursue innovation and entrepreneurship. This grand mission requires cultivating free minds unafraid to explore unconventional paths.

How can we expect young learners to embrace originality when their teachers' own individuality is being clipped? Moreover, classrooms serve as a microcosm of our diverse society. Imposing a uniform dress code on teachers sends a message that conformity is preferred over diversity. This stands at odds with India's pluralistic identity and its strength in embracing differences.

Killing diversity

Encouraging diversity in appearance, ideas and culture is essential for creative problem-solving and fostering social cohesion. The classrooms where fresh ideas are born should celebrate diversity in thought and appearance alike not suppress it. I come from a long line of teachers, my mother, grandmother, aunts, and uncles are all deeply committed to their craft. They invest great effort in preparing and bringing lessons to life.

When I look back on my school days, the memories of my teachers come alive, not in the shade of uniforms, but in vivid colours.

Each teacher carries a distinct personality, just as the flowing robes and the distinctive beard define the image of Rabindranath Tagore, evoking the spirit of a man who gave us timeless lessons.

Among them, his poem, "Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high" echoes with a plea to break free from the "narrow domestic walls" that shatter the soul and cage true freedom.

Attack on individuality

To impose a rigid dress code on teachers is to fragment their individuality, smother the flame of creativity and dimmer the lights that guide young minds.

Rather than focusing on standardising attire, the government’s attention should turn to urgent educational needs such as revitalising school infrastructure, addressing staff shortages, updating curricula and providing resources to both students and teachers.

True educational progress stems from these foundational improvements, not from regulating what teachers wear.

Education thrives when teachers are trusted as professionals capable of balancing decorum with self-expression. Clamping down on their appearance risks creating classrooms of sameness where creativity and passion struggle to survive. To prepare a generation that leads India toward self-reliance, we must allow freedom to flourish in every dimension, including the freedom to be oneself. The uniforms may offer neatness, but they cannot substitute for inspiration. Let teachers' individuality be a beacon, not a casualty, in the classrooms that shape India's future.

The writer is an advocate, Punjab and Haryana High Court