A decision to oblige teachers and school administrators to wear uniforms in schools is an initiative launched and applied in one governorate only in Egypt at the current time, Minister of Education Tarek Shawky announced Saturday via Facebook, slamming those who mocked the initiative.

"The governor of Wadi El-Gadid governorate designed and launched a beautiful initiative concerning a school uniform for teachers and school administrators, to unify their appearance and to add a prestige to the teacher that suits the majesty of his profession, and yet social media networks are full of unjustified questions, rumours and mockery as we try harder to present something better," Shawky said on Facebook.     

Claims went viral Friday and Saturday that the Ministry of Education had issued a decision to make teachers and school administrators wear uniform in schools across Egypt, accompanied with a photo of the alleged uniform.

The news was met by criticism as well as mockery on social media in Egypt.

According to Shawky, the initiative of Wadi El-Gadid Governor Mohamed El-Zamalut was followed carefully by the ministry, but it is not a national initiative.

"The Ministry of Education did not issue any comment about the teachers and administrators and I have not said anything about how teachers would pay half the cost of the uniforms, as spread on social media networks," Shawky added.

"If you want to know more information then please ask the governor of Wadi El-Gadid, or the education directorate in the governorate," he said, adding that mockery of "everything" won't help the nation move forward.

For his part, Governor El-Zamalut said in media statements late Saturday that his initiative was still in an experimental phase and that it was not a mandatory order, nor did it aim for profit.