Kenya: A proposal on school uniforms arouses criticism



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It is hard enough for parents and teachers to choose a student away from dozens of others when they are in uniform. But this could become even more difficult if a proposal to have all students wear the same uniform from January of next year be applied

according to the Chief Education Secretary, Belio Kipsang. they look like civilian clothes, making it difficult to identify high school and elementary school students when they sneak in for indulgence, or even fomenting trouble in the schools.

Objections to the proposal were quick, including students who said more than just clothes and reflect the culture and aspirations of a particular school

"The uniform color of the school has meaning for the school and the community in general. "said the president of the Kenya Secondary School Directors' Association (Kessha). Kahi Indimuli.

Secretary of the Cabinet of Education, Amina Mohamed, calmed the situation yesterday stating that the question would be

"Schools have sponsors, which means we must consult them before taking a decision, "said Ms. Mohamed.

million. Nicholas Maiyo, president of the National Association of Student Parents, said: "Students buy uniforms at different prices, which is very expensive for parents in the country. School directors sell uniforms to students at exorbitant prices, and that's why we want to end this practice, "said Maiyo, who ordered schools to stop referring their parents to specific suppliers of uniforms and suppliers, but the directive, like the one on tuition fees, has not been heard.It is not known how the association proposed the proposal, since his organizing secretary, Mr. Osborne Mabalu, was different from Mr. Maiyo.

I attended the workshop in Machakos last week where Maiyo had this suggestion.We were not agree on the way forward and we were surprised when the PS promised Rivatex to make fabrics for the uniforms, "Dr. Mabalu told reporters in Kisumu

. "We want the same uniform and fabric to be used in all our schools, we want Rivatex to get ready for them to play a role in their making."

In Kakamega, Boniface Manda, of the civil society group of Bunge la Haki, threatened to bring a lawsuit

M. Maiyo said that elementary students would have a common uniform, just like high school students. Mr. Maiyo specified that schools would keep their shields

School uniforms are varied, with a dress, skirt and blouse or tunic and blouse for girls in primary school, and a blouse skirt for tho get in high school. Then there are ties and sweaters or blazers, as well as game kits, among other things.

million. Maiyo said that the same uniform would also help learners of small schools, who are intimidated when they meet their high cost. "We want our children to feel equal, regardless of the schools they attend, we do not want our children to feel intimidated by other students," Maiyo said, adding that a standard uniform He asked teachers, school sponsors and other stakeholders to submit their views to the Ministry of Education.

Although cost concerns are difficult to challenge, it is feared that a centralized procurement system would only replace individual traders who agree with heads of institutions to inflate prices.

million. John Mark Wandera, director of Booker Academy in Mumias, argues that the proposal is similar to "The proposal to adopt a single uniform will open a window on cartels and ruin the textile market," he said.

Africa, like Ghana and neighboring Tanzania, already has policies, with learners in all public schools wearing identical uniforms.

Parents spend thousands of shillings on school uniforms. In some schools, the cost of a full uniform can reach 60,000 shillings, especially for students entering high school.

A good number of schools require parents to purchase items in exclusive deal stores with suppliers. Some of the parents interviewed said that they had paid between 2,000 Shillings and 7 Shillings Shillings per item in the shops to which the schools had referred them.

Last year, Kariuki Wang, director general of the Kenya Competition Authority (CAK) ombe, asked parents to report any instances of collusion between schools and suppliers for his intervention .

In Nairobi, more than 10 parents said that a common uniform would encourage misconduct among students because it would be difficult to tell which school they said that school uniforms gave learners a sense of belonging.

Meanwhile, uniform vendors doubted that the proposal would reduce costs. For Parents,

"As long as school badges will only be available in specific stores, the operation will not stop," said Damaris Ng's Global CEO. Uniforms on Duruma Road in Nairobi

. the movement for the fear of incurring losses through dead animals, while others said it would lead to job losses

Report by Ouma Wanzala, Lilys Njeru, Rushdie Oudia and Shaban Makokha

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