John Lewis – South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu)
“It is not a major issue for us. As far as we are aware this matter is with Sace and it is busy drafting guidelines. As soon as they have finalised the draft we will engage with it. We heard that they want the process to be inclusive to involve school governing bodies. I think it is a good thing. In principle Sadtu supports the view that there has to be a minimum of what we consider to be a decent dress code among the teachers.”
Sue Muller – National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of South Africa (Naptosa)
“It is a complex issue, which must take into account a number of factors like climate, culture and individual rights. We have not come up with a formal position on it because it just does not seem to be a major issue. But some of the key questions to ask are at what point are you going to monitor the different context of schools. If you say a female teacher should not wear slacks, would it not be appropriate for say a grade R teacher? There is also a cultural dimension: an Indian female teacher may want to wear a sari dress, which reveals some parts of her body. Would it be a violation of the dress code, how would it be handled?”
Kobus Peterse – Suid Afrikaanse Onderwysersunie (Saou)
“Traditionally our members are ‘conservative’. It is very rare to find them dressed inappropriately. But in a democratic situation you can’t prescribe to people what they should or should not wear. In general teachers are responsible and if one is dressed inappropriately certainly he or she should be advised accordingly. Saou would have no objection to a dress code for as long as it is within acceptable norms. But I must say this is a tricky one to deal with.”
Kathy Callaghan – Governors’ Alliance (school governing body organisation)
“My experience is that most teachers dress appropriately and in a professional manner. Yes, there are those who do not dress as required, but I think this is a responsibility of the school management team and the principal to ensure teachers dress well. If the school management functions well it would be easy to deal with such deviations.
“I think it is a good thing that teachers should dress in a manner that inspires confidence and integrity in the profession. In my book no teacher should come to school in shorts, sandals, mini-skirts or topless attire. It is not professional. But again the trick is how do you monitor it, would it be monitored like the police do?”
Paul Colditz – Fedsas (school governing body association)
“Some schools have opted for a uniform, which they believe gives them a sense of pride and identity. I believe all teachers must be neatly dressed. Teaching also entails grooming learners into becoming responsible adults and citizens. Teachers are role models and if they dress appropriately they are able to maintain order and discipline among the learners.
“But I am not in favour of this being imposed as we are dealing with adults and professional people. Besides it would be very difficult to enforce it. For instance, some parts of the country are too hot, cold or humid and this may dictate a particular set of clothing. In the end whatever teachers wear it must reflect and promote a professional image…”