Women’s rights NGO says teachers need to have faces uncovered

Women’s rights NGO, Uthema has weighed into the recent controversy over the subject of teachers and face-veil, commenting that teachers needed to have their faces uncovered in order to enrich the learning experience of children and ensure safety within schools.

Uthema released a press statement on Wednesday, in which it said that children not only learned from words, but that the teacher’s body language and facial expressions were also an important part of the learning experience.

“For reasons such as this, teachers who wear face-veils in some Islamic countries are required to bare their faces when teaching children,” read the statement.

Uthema said that though Ministry of Education’s decision to ban face-veils from schools was taken for the wellbeing of children, abrupt disciplinary action and inefficient disciplinary procedures could violate rights of those involved, as well as help foster extremist propaganda.

The NGO appealed to Ministry of Education and other relevant State agencies to ensure safety of learning environment, and adopt effective steps to deliver education up to par with the modern world.

Criticism was directed at Ministry of Education when it terminated the contract of a teacher who worked at A. A. Education Center in A. A. Rasdhoo in January when she refused to take off her face-veil when teaching classes.

Another teacher from A. A. Mathivari School who wears the face veil was suspended and warned not to enter school with the face-veil.

Official dress code of civil servants does not allow for any of them to wear anything which makes them unidentifiable during work.