T P Nijish TNN , NOv 4, 2012

Malappuram:The Sullamussalam Oriental High School (Areekode) refused to let a teacher, who was allegedly suspended for not abiding by a dress code, to resume work on Saturday despite the district education officer (DEO) revoking her suspension.
Mathematics teacher Kollathodi Jameela, who was allegedly handed a 15-day suspension for wearing a white overcoat instead of a green one mandated by the management to avoid “students’ prying eyes”, was told that her suspension ended only on Saturday evening and, thus, she couldn’t resume working yet.
Jameela had approached the state human rights commission after she was suspended by the school management on October 20. The suspension order said Jameela refused to follow the dress code and she had been suspended on charges of “indiscipline and disobedience”. The DEO’s order, which came on Friday evening, said the management had failed to prove the charges against the teacher.

‘Green coat’ school mgmt runs for cover

T P Nijish, TNN Oct 30, 2012,
MALAPPURAM: After its decision to impose a dress code – a green overcoat – for teachers triggered a controversy, the management of Sullamussalam Oriental High School in Areekode is considering revoking its decision.

The school management has approached the teacher, who was suspended recently for not following its dress code diktats for compromise. The management has said that it is considering to introduce an overcoat in another colour, which is acceptable for all the teachers in the school.

Kerala teacher moves rights panel against ‘dress code’

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K Jameela, a mathematics teacher in the school was suspended on October 20 for 15 days for “grave charges of indiscipline and disobedience”. Earlier, the teacher had informed the school management that she is willing to wear an overcoat of any other colour. Though the management denied all allegations saying that the colour of the overcoat introduced in school was not green, but dark grey, the teacher had pointed out that the showcause notice issued by the management clearly mentioned that the colour of overcoat should be ‘light green‘.

However, now the management has admitted that it was a mistake on its part to mention ‘light green’ in the showcause notice and that it is ready for a compromise in order to snuff out the controversy. “We have informed Jameela about our interest in reaching a compromise,” said N V Zacharia, management committee member.

A woman teacher, who was suspended for a fortnight from an aided higher secondary school in Malappuram district for allegedly refusing to fall in line with the management’s diktat to wear a “light green” overcoat, has approached the State Human Rights Commission, seeking justice.

Authorities of Sullamssalam Oriental High School at Areekode in Malappuram in north Kerala, however, disputed the teacher’s contention that the ‘dress code’ had been enforced by them.

On the contrary, it was a collective decision of the teachers of the school, school authorities claimed.
Jameela K, a mathematics teacher, was placed under suspension for 15 days last week for turning up at the school without wearing the overcoat in the prescribed colour.

Jameela alleged that though she wore a white over-coat, the management insisted she don the “green” outfit.

According to SHRC member Prof KE Gangadharan, the Deputy Director of Education had been asked to probe the matter and submit a report.

“Let us wait for the report. If it is true that the management had enforced the dress code, that would be an infringement on individual’s freedom,” Gangadharan told PTI.

If the allegation is found true, the Government would be directed to take proper action, he said.

The management disputed Jameela’s charge holding that the colour suggested was not “green” but “asparagus”. Teachers had been given the choice to wear either a black pardha or “asparagus”, which is light green, not the deep green which is associated with the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), whose nominee is the education minister.

“This is an unnecessary controversy. Some people are trying to give a political colour to the whole issue”, management sources said.