Sloppy teachers will have to clean up their act and revealing outfits will be best left for after hours if a proposed dress code for teachers is implemented.
While the department of education has national guidelines for school uniforms, teachers are left to choose what to wear.
And some of the outfits are not fit for the classroom, according to education bodies. The department has called on the South African Council of Educators (SACE) to investigate a dress code for teachers.
In the 60s and 70s some education departments like the then Transvaal Education Department (TED) and individual schools had dress regulations. This included that women wearing pants had to cover their derriere's with a jacket, no sun dresses or sandals without heels or straps were allowed and men favouring safari suits had to wear long socks and underwear.
A former deputy head, Hettie Kruger, said when miniskirts became fashionable the underwear of some female teachers was showing and she had to step in and tell them to dress appropriately.
"They were allowed to wear pants, but nothing tight or tucked in. A jacket covering their behind had to be worn outside class, but they could take it (the jacket) off in the classroom," said Kruger.
She said in winter female teachers had to dress neatly and "no socks with pumps", nothing tight and clothing had to match.
Kruger said she enforced the dress code strictly and sometimes had to call teachers aside and warn them to dress appropriately and in some instances even sent them home to change.
"Teachers must be an example to pupils, unfortunately not everyone seems to appreciate this," Kruger said.
Although a code of professional ethics regulates teachers' conduct, there are no specific dress code guidelines.
Head of the educators' council, Rej Brijraj, said there were provisions in the code that could be applied, to test if a teacher was dressed appropriately. These included that they should "act in a proper and becoming way so that their behaviour does not bring the profession into disrepute" and "behave in a way that enhances the dignity and status of the teaching profession".
However, Brijraj said the education department wanted more specific guidelines and the council would meet in September to discuss the matter.
"Teachers should dress accordingly, depending on the subject they teach. A PE teacher would be more casual, but other teachers should dress smartly. You can't teach with takkies and shorts or something that is provocative," Brijraj said.
He said no formal complaints had been received, and invited the public to contact the council if they had a problem about the way teachers dressed.
KwaZulu-Natal Parents' Association chairperson, Sayed Rajack, said a dress code was long overdue and the association had been calling for it.
"Some teachers dress really badly, to say the least," Rajack said.
He said pupils were expected to dress in uniform while teachers arrived in jeans and takkies.
"How can you expect a child to have respect for a teacher that dresses that way. They should be tastefully dressed, not in miniskirts and see-through tops," he said.
Brijraj said he urged teachers to dress appropriately.
"They have to clean up their act or face charges by the council," he said.