I have noticed tertiary students here - male and female alike - attending lectures and tutorial classes wearing slippers, shorts and T-shirts.

This does not seem like an appropriate way to dress.

Institutes of tertiary education are places to acquire knowledge.

Students should respect the sanctity of these places and not treat them like food courts or hawker centres, where there are no restrictions on how one dresses.

I am sure their lecturers and tutors have to adhere to a dress code and dress appropriately when carrying out their professional duties.

We do not see our MPs and ministers wearing slippers, shorts and T-shirts in Parliament.

Even some restaurants have a dress code which guests must follow.

It is about time that the authorities, especially in our universities, introduced some form of dress code for all tertiary students to follow.

If there already is a dress code, then stern action should be taken to enforce it, as it is not being adhered to.

I am not suggesting that tertiary students wear a uniform.

Shoes instead of slippers, trousers instead of shorts, and shirts with sleeves would be ideal.

By implementing a dress code, we would be demonstrating to the world that we are a disciplined society.

Pavithran Vidyadharan