An east Belfast primary headmaster has raised the issue of some women bringing their children to school while dressed in their pyjamas.
Joe McGuinness, principal of St Matthew's primary school in the nationalist Short Strand issued a recent bulletin urging some mothers to wear day clothing because arriving to collect their children in pyjamas was "disrespectful" and showing "bad example".
"Over recent months the number of adults leaving children to school and collecting children from school dressed in pyjamas has risen considerably.
"While it is not my position to insist on what people wear, or don't, I feel that arriving at the school in pyjamas is disrespectful to the school and a bad example to set to children," he wrote.
Mothers arriving at school in pyjamas is a fairly recent phenomenon in Belfast but its incidence has been increasing, according to Mr McGuinness.
He didn't want to comment on the matter yesterday but he earlier told the Andersonstown News that "there used to be about 15 to 20 pyjama-wearing parents, but there is anything up to 50 now, and they are all women".
"People don't go to see a solicitor, bank manager or doctor dressed in pyjamas, so why do they think it's okay to drop their children off at school dressed like that?" he said.
Local Sinn Féin representative Niall Ó Donnghaile said that since Mr McGuinness sent out his letter the incidence of pyjama-clad women arriving at St Matthew's had stopped. He said it was a minority of mothers who arrived in such dress and that the majority of parents agreed with the principal's sentiments.
"St Matthew's is a fine school. The kids are going around every day turned out lovely in their navy blue uniforms.
"It really is about respect for the other parents and the children and the staff. It is not always the most comfortable thing if you are engaging with somebody and they are wearing their night attire," he said.
Mr Ó Donnghaile said he was concerned that people might adopt a patronising stance on the issue. "While this is becoming an increasing phenomenon across Belfast it wouldn't be a particularly common feature among people in the Short Strand."
