India
“Rings get lost so they should be banned. Flowers are fine but anklets should be banned as they distract boys,” said Tamil Nadu school education minister KA Sengottaiyan
Chennai: Tamil Nadu school education minister KA Sengottaiyan courted controversy while answering a question on banning rings, anklets and flowers in schools. He said anklets made boys “lose concentration”.
This was his response to a question on ban on ornaments in the state-run schools. Though he started off saying that he has no clue about a circular on the bans, he went on to give his opinion.
He said that the rings should be banned because students can easily lose them. But he was supporting about wearing flowers and said that flowers should not be banned.
But speaking about anklets, he said that the clinking sound made by the anklets worn by girls makes it difficult for boys to concentrate. It “distracts” them, he said.
He also said that girls wearing anklets to school will make it difficult for the boys to concentrate on their studies and they get distracted.
He was addressing media persons after a programme at a school in Gobichettipalyam. He had just returned after distributing bicycles to the students of Class XI and XII.
A report in The Times of India had earlier (April this year) mentioned about a part of textbook for Class VIII that stated, “avoid other gender”, shun “provocative” clothes and others. Being the education minister, Sengottaiyan had promised to look into the syllabus and remove the controversial part from it.
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