Sarees Not Mandatory for Teachers? Viral Video Of Harini Amarasuriya Announcing Relaxation In Dress Code Is Misleading

A six-second video clip shows Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya announcing in Sinhala, “We have not made uniforms mandatory for teachers.” The Sinhala text overlaid on the video claims, “Teachers do not need to wear sarees from the day after tomorrow. A statement from Harini before school starts,” suggesting that it is in context of the 5th January, 2026 school reopenings. The video was shared on Friday, 2nd January, 2026, giving the impression that the announcement was made recently.

Evidence

• A reverse image search of the keyframes from the viral clip led to a longer 3-minute and 4-second video posted on 14 December 2025 on the Facebook page of Lanka Voice TV. The video contains the same text overlay. However, the Prime Minister’s announcement was prompted by Cyclone Ditwah, and was a temporary move in the aftermath of the floods and not a new dress code.

• A Google search using keywords “teachers’ attire” and “PM Harini Amarasuriya,” led us to a video on Newsfirst Sri Lanka posted on YouTube on 15 December 2025. In the video, the Prime Minister says, “If you are displaced, if you have lost your clothes, do not let this prevent you from attending school. We have not made uniforms mandatory for teachers or students.” This confirms that her statement referred to temporary measures following the disaster.

• On 13 December 2025, the Prime Minister’s Office published a statement emphasizing that education should not be a burden for children and that attire was not mandatory for both students and teachers. These remarks were made during a discussion with education authorities in the Nuwara Eliya District, one of the most impacted areas by Cyclone Ditwah.The remarks were made ahead of the reopening of schools on 16 December 2025, not the reopening scheduled on 5 January 2026.

• Several mainstream news outlets also reported that Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya’s statement during 13 December 2025, referred to temporary flexibility in teachers’ and students’ attire during the post-Cyclone Ditwah school reopening. News reports can be seen here, here, here, here and here.

• At a special press conference on 4 January 2026, the Prime Minister did not announce any changes to teachers’ attire rules following the reopening of schools for the 2026 academic year.

Context

In Sri Lanka, although there is no formal policy mandating sarees for female teachers, wearing a saree has long been an unwritten professional norm. The topic of teacher attire has been debated since 2022, especially during periods of economic hardship or emergencies. In this context, the Prime Minister’s December 2025 remarks on temporary flexibility have been misleadingly presented as a permanent policy change or as a new announcement for 2026.

Verdict

The claim that the Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya announced a relaxation in the dress code for teachers ahead of the January 2026 school reopening, is misleading. The viral video is from December 2025 and was in relation to the temporary flexibility in teachers’ and students’ attire following Cyclone Ditwah. It does not indicate a new or permanent policy change ahead of the January 2026 school reopening.

FAQs

Q1. What does the viral video show the Prime Minister saying?
She says that uniforms have not been made mandatory for teachers.

Q2. When was the statement originally made?
On 13 December 2025, during a discussion with education authorities in the Nuwara Eliya District.

Q3. What was the context of her remarks?
The remarks were made during discussions on reopening schools after Cyclone Ditwah, allowing flexibility for affected teachers and students.

Q4. Has the government announced a permanent change to teachers’ attire rules?
No. There has been no announcement of a permanent policy change regarding teachers’ attire for the 2026 academic year.

Our Sources
Video published on the Lanka Voice TV Facebook page on 14 December 2025.
Video report published by Newsfirst Sri Lanka on YouTube on 15 December 2025.
Official statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office on 13 December 2025.
News report published by Sinhala.news.lk on 14 December 2025.
News report published by Asian Mirror on 15 December 2025.
News report published by The Morning on 15 December 2025.
News report published by News 1st on 15 December 2025.
News report published by Daily Mirror on 14 December 2025.
Special press conference held on 4 January 2026, live-streamed on the Ada Derana YouTube channel.