Mayawati’s new blue dress code for government schools in Uttar Pradesh is making parents and teachers see red. After painting the walls of Lucknow blue to announce the CM’s birthday celebrations, the government has asked the students and teachers of Class I-VIII to wear the same colour from the next academic session.The boys will wear navy blue pants with white shirts while the girls will have navy blue skirts. The teachers can wear sky blue shirts and deep blue trousers or white kurta pyjama. Ram Achal Rajbhar, Minister for Basic Education, said the dress code will bring uniformity among students: ‘‘With the teachers too wearing the same uniform, there will be a sense of discipline among them.’’But few are buying the argument. B.D. Shastri, leader of the Madhyamik Shikshak Sangh, said: ‘‘It is an attempt to give political colour to basic education. Parents who cannot afford to send their wards to convent schools are being asked to spend on uniform.’’While the state has made the new uniforms mandatory, it has not been able to distribute uniforms to Class IV employees in the Basic Education department for the last four years because of a cash crunch.
