These are some of the comments published by Garutara Mahasangharatne to the media in response to the recent request made by the Secretary of the Ceylon Teachers’ Union Mr. Joseph Stalin to the Ministry of Education to give women teachers the opportunity to wear comfortable clothes.
Nugegoda Nalandaramadhipati Venerable Thiniawala Palita Thero
Nugegoda Nalandaramadhipatya Pujya Thiniyawala Palitha Thero pointed out that the circular issued by the Ministry of Public Administration on 27.09.2022 does not apply to teachers at all and that in the eternal Buddhist cultural heritage of this country, monks, military officers, school teachers, students, etc., have their own identity in every field. That a uniform exists and cannot be changed at the whim of different parties.
Even in the Old Testament of the Bible, it is clearly stated that women’s clothes should be used for women and men’s clothes for men without changing them, and it can be very disastrous to ignore the unique clothes and customs of this country as shown by all these clothes, and the attention of the Minister of Education and the Secretary also referred to this.
Reverend Waturawila Siri Sujatha Thero, Royal Pandita Philosopher of Kotte Sri Naga Temple
Since it is the nature of children to be attracted to the visible things as well as to follow the role models they meet, in the school system, children will naturally follow the class teacher or teacher who is the closest figure to the child, so teachers as guides should display a very careful behavior in the role of teacher. This was stated by Reverend Vaturavila Siri Sujata Thero, Royal Pandita Darshanapati, Head of Kotte Sri Naga Vihara. If Mr. Joseph Stalin of Ceylon Teachers’ Association agrees to the request to allow female teachers to come to school in comfortable and suitable clothes, the children will not be able to see their exemplary teacher character from the teachers who come to school dressed in different styles. They strongly stated that Mr. Stalin should know that this is a Sinhala Buddhist country.
Chancellor of Sabaragamuwa University Prof. Aggamaha Pandita Sahityasuree Chief Sanghanayake of Colombo Sabaragamuwa Di-District Venerable Kamburugamuwa Vajira Thero
Teacher service is a unique service that goes beyond the professional level, and teachers are revered as gods in the culture of this country, which has a long history nourished by Buddhism, Teachers cannot be told to wear whatever clothes they want to come to school, just as monks cannot be told to wear whatever clothes they want. Chancellor of Sabaragamuwa University Prof. Aggamaha Pandita Sahityasuri, Chief Sanghanayake of Colombo Sabaragamuwa District Reverend Kamburugamuwe Vajira Thero said. Further commenting, thero said that the opportunistic professional associations of Pakshagra today make these god-like teachers walk on the streets and make them vagrants.