Dress code for teachers: “Naked legs are not welcomed”

In Belarusian schools teachers should comply with a certain dress code.

They are forbidden to wear any bright or revealing clothes, they should wear tights and shoes with a closed heel, avoid long nails and too extravagant make-up. Such recommendations have been sent to educational institutions of Brest, Interfax.by informs.

The author of these rules for teachers of how to dress and how to make make-up is the representative of the Education Ministry of Belarus, and recently a deputy Uladzimir Zdanovich. It is curious that the recommendations had been created by the deputy about a year ago, however it is now that they have been published, and are actively discussed equally by teachers and by school-children and their parents.

“Appearance standards for teachers should not turn into an ambition to make everyone be dressed in the same way, and certainly not into a harassment of some teachers or their humiliation by the administration. The most important thing in this tricky and very delicate issue is to be tactful, taking into account all facet of this or that action and peculiarities of life of a person, including one’s financial resources,” the recommendations on dress code of teachers state, and so a conclusion could be made that they rather serve as guidelines, and are not mandatory.

Clothes: “It is considered inappropriate to teach a class wearing jeans, sportswear (with the exception of physical training, rhythmic teachers, and so on); in clothes with fringes, sequined, laced clothes, clothes having big bright buttons; midriff-baring clothes, mini-skirts, skirts with long slashes, transparent blouses or low-cut blouses, ponchos and shapeless wrappers of the kind, “gypsy” skirts and so on. Clothes for a school (gymnasium, lyceum) should not be too close-fitting and extravagantly coloured. Fishnet tights and stockings, flower-dotted and checked ones, are not allowed. Bare legs, even most beautiful ones, are not welcomed as well, even when the weather is very hot.”

Footwear: “Business style cannot tolerate training shoes (with the exception for physical training teachers), and any kind of footwear with bare heels; barefoot slippers, high boots. Footwear should have a classic form, with a steady heel (not too high, not higher than 6 cm), not heavy or flimsy.”

Hairstyle, make-up, manicure, jewelry: “A hairstyle should leave the face open, as it looks more neat, and an open face look more trustworthy. Too long loose hair, cornrows, dreadlocks are not for a school teacher as well. A make-up should not be gaudy, it should be light. Two should be avoided in the manicure: poorly groomed nails or too long nails with a showy -coloured nail polish. Accessories should not be shiny, too massive, be jingling, all that could divert attention of pupils from the meaning of the lesson. Traditionally it is believed that no more than three jewelry items should be worn at a time.”