Female school teachers, students uniform should not change: Ven. Palitha Thera

Responding to the request made by the Ceylon Teachers' Union (CTU) Secretary Joseph Stalin to grant the opportunity to wear suitable, comfortable clothes for female teachers to attend schools, the Nalandaramaya Chief Incumbent Chief Secretary Ven. Palitha Thera said the circular issued in this regard by the Public Administration Ministry on September 27 does not apply to teachers at all.

Addressing the media, he said the CTU Secretary had requested the Education Secretary to allow female teachers the opportunity to follow a more lenient dress code to attend schools.

The prelate mentioned that Sri Lanka is a country with a 2,600-year-old Buddhist culture and identity.

"Buddhist monks, military personnel, police, school teachers and students have unique uniforms. As required by the CTU Secretary and non-government organizations (NGOs), they cannot change the uniforms of teachers or students in the country. "If that happens, there is bound to be a great disaster," he said.

"Even in the Old Testament of the Bible, it is clearly said that women's clothes should be used for women and men's clothes for men without changing, and it is an insult to God. Therefore ignoring this custom could be very disastrous to this country and its culture," he said.

Hence, I do not believe Education Minister Susil Premajayantha would allow to change the uniforms of the teachers and students as per the wishes of external sources, Ven. Palitha said.

He added that the minister would not take any actions to ruin the culture and identity of the country. (Chaturanga Samarawickrama)