A PRIMARY school teacher has found herself slammed after sharing a look at some of the outfits she’s worn to work this week.
The young woman, who goes under the name of Ms Thrush, regularly shares updates about her professional life on her social media pages.
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And in a recent post on Instagram, she detailed some of the fits she’s sported for the first few weeks of the new school year – her second working in kindergarten.
“Teacher fits I wore to school this week,” Ms Thrush wrote over the top of her Reel.
The first outfit consisted of a checked minidress, with puff sleeves and a fit and flare skirt, which she teamed with a pair of knee-high boots.
Next up was a longer dress – a white gypsy-style dress which finished on her calf, worn with a pair of chunky shoes.
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The third look saw her flash some leg again, in a black miniskirt and tight fitted T-shirt, finished off with some black platform sandals.
And the final ensemble of the week was perhaps the most modest of the lot – a pair of figure-hugging flared jeans and a tight pink T-shirt.
“First outfits of the school year!!! year two in kindergarten,” she captioned her Instagram, while urging people to “follow to see what I wear this year”.
However, the comments section on the Instagram was full of people fiercely debating how appropriate Ms Thrush’s ensembles were for a school.
“So not work appropriate for a teacher,” one sighed.
“Cute, but not for a day in the classroom when you are sitting on the floor, bending down to help students, etc…”
“The first dress and skirt are not teacher appropriate. Way too short to be respectful around children,” another agreed.
“Half of those outfits are inappropriate,” a third insisted.
“All the short ones are inappropriate completely!” someone else concurred.
“Your first and third outfit are not appropriate. Please tell me I don’t have to tell you why!” another wrote.
“Not really appropriate for a teacher,” someone else said.
“School pupils have to wear a certain length of skirt and so should staff.”
Do teachers follow a dress code?
THE National Education Union on teacher dress codes…
The NEU does not recommend formal dress code for staff in schools.
The NEU believes that staff should be able to dress according to their professional judgement unless this is detrimental to their capacity to do their job or is deemed unsafe or inappropriate for some other objective and reasonable reason.
Schools should take into account the principles set out below:
- Staff have a right to expect respect for their religious beliefs, cultural practices and gender-identity.
- Forms of dress should not interfere with the teaching, learning and assessment process.
- Health and safety of pupils and staff should be assessed.
- Consultation with staff is an essential principle.
- Each case should be considered on its merits in the light of the principles identified in this guidance.
Not everyone found issues with Ms Thrush’s work looks though, with many defending her in the comments.
“Maybe it’s just a reflection of being Gen Z but I really don’t see a problem with any of these outfits,” one wrote.
“It seems a little bit ridiculous that some people hold teaching elementary school children to the same standard of professional attire as working at the bank!”
“Dress codes for women are just repackaged sexism because if a man wore shorts nobody would give a f**k,” another added.
“None of these outfits are inappropriate,” a third insisted.
“I’ve seen plenty of students wearing way more revealing things at my school and never got any shade for it.
“As long as you’re wearing long shorts underneath, which in your replies you said you are, go off queen!”
