Rajasthan: Private Schools Protest Government Mandate for Uniform Dress Code in All Schools

Same Uniform for Private and Government Schools: Days after Education Minister Madan Dilawar announced a standardised uniform for students of all private and government schools in Rajasthan, a decision has now been made to implement a uniform dress code for students and teachers of all schools. Along with the new uniform, the mandatory use of identity cards for school staff has also been enforced. Private school organisations have come out in protest against the new dress code.

Provisions in the New Dress Code

According to information received, the new uniform for students in private and government schools will consist of brown trousers or half pants and light brown shirts for male students. For female students, it will be a light brown kurta or shirt with brown salwar or skirt and a dupatta. Students will be exempted from wearing the school uniform on Thursdays.

For teachers, male staff will be required to wear sky blue shirts and steel grey trousers, while female staff will have to wear sky blue sarees with steel grey borders and steel grey blouses, or sky blue kurtas with steel grey dupattas and steel grey salwars.

Identity Cards Also Mandated with Uniforms

The new uniforms and identity cards will be applicable to all government and private schools, including Swami Vivekananda Model Schools, Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas, Mahatma Gandhi Government Schools, and schools operating under the Sanskrit Education Department. The first meeting regarding standardised uniforms and identity cards for teachers and students was held in the last week of August. It is being reported that all employees working in government and private schools will have to bear the cost of the new uniforms themselves.

Private School Organisations Protest

While the Rajasthan government is preparing a standardised uniform, organisations of private schools in the state have come out in protest against this decision. Organisation officials state that uniforms have been a part of the identity of many private schools. In such a situation, the government's decision is completely impractical and unfair. Officials from the Society for Un-aided Private Schools argue that changing uniforms will neither improve the quality of education nor enhance the state's results. Private school organisations have accused the government of issuing orders arbitrarily without any consultation. The school organisations have warned of legal action if this order is not withdrawn.