Schools are now selling their kit within the premises. Buy the uniform anywhere else and the child will be sent home to get the "proper uniform". Some schools have arrangements with specific uniform shops; parents are instructed to get the uniforms only from those shops and nowhere else.
Not surprisingly, the arrangement creates a monopoly, where prices are higher than would have been the case if several shops were competing to sell the same uniforms. This has led to calls for the Ministry of Education to regulate the sale of school uniforms.
A motion has already been presented to the National Assembly to standardise the production of school uniforms. The motion, filed by Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba earlier this month, is in response to concerns that the rising prices of school uniforms are preventing children from going to school.
"Some schools demand that parents pay uniform money to specific school accounts, a move that locks out many children whose parents cannot afford," Wamuchomba said while filing the motion. It will be interesting to see MPs' reactions when the motion comes up for debate.
This year, school administrators sparked controversy when they demanded that Grade 7 learners be in different uniforms from the rest of the primary school population. The Ministry of Education agreed that Grade 7s be in a different uniform but instructed school administrators to give parents time.
"We don't expect kids to be sent away because of uniform," Education CS Ezekiel Machogu said in January. He said parents should be allowed to buy school uniforms from wherever they wish.
However, a teacher speaking to the Star said school administrators wanted learners to get uniforms from a single source to ensure a consistent look. "If we say come with a purple shirt, then we will see very many [shades of] colours," the teacher said.
Buying of uniforms should be the parents' responsibility. Why should we be forced to buy when the child's uniform is still in good condition?
THREAT TO EDUCATION
During her submission to Parliament, Wamuchomba acknowledged the positive role played by school uniforms. "School uniforms keep students focused on education, not clothes, reducing peer pressure and bullying, enhancing school pride, unity and community spirit as they go a long way in contributing to students' sense of belonging to their school's population," the MP said.
In February, as Grade 7 and Form 1 students reported to school, National Assembly Deputy Speaker Gladys Shollei said many learners were stuck at home despite receiving bursaries because their parents could not afford school uniforms. Speaking on Citizen TV, Shollei urged the Ministry of Education to look at how to reduce the cost of school uniforms.
Not long ago, blogger Robert Alai complained about being compelled to buy unnecessary school uniforms for his daughter who was in secondary school. "The principal has been forcing the parents to buy school uniforms every year in the school. Buying of uniforms should be the parents' responsibility. Why should we be forced to buy when the child's uniform is still in good condition? Why must we buy from the school?" Alai asked.
One parent responded by saying the reason why schools insist on single-sourcing school uniforms is that some parents may buy undersized uniforms or uniforms with slightly different colours. Some parents wouldn't replace uniforms at all and their girls would put on very old kits. "So this approach is to harmonize these irregularities and promote social equity among the students. Let's not read malice in everything," the parent, Winstone Edward, said.
Many other people commenting on the matter complained that uniforms sold through single sourcing were of poor quality that does not match the large sums of money parents have to pay. This may explain why students have to get a fresh set of uniforms each year.
A 2018 report in the European Journal of Educational Sciences established that Kenyan households spent an average of Sh5,375 on school uniforms, especially in Form One. Students in boarding schools need more money for school uniforms than those in day schools. The cost of girls' uniforms is higher than that for boys. Dr Reuben Gitonga Mutegi, author of the report, recommended that government and other education sector stakeholders support the buying of school uniforms for children joining secondary education in Form One as a way of increasing enrolment. School uniforms for girls should be subsidised to eliminate gender gaps.
Kenyans are not the only ones worried about the cost of uniforms. England began implementing a new law in September 2022 aimed at protecting parents from unnecessary school uniform costs. According to the Evening Standard newspaper, public schools were required to remove unnecessary branded items from their uniform requirements, allowing parents to shop around or hand clothes down more easily. The law does not ban branding but only requires that it be kept to a minimum.
SWEATERS OR SHOES?
Dr Sven Jungmann, a medical doctor who has done extensive research on healthcare in Lake Victoria, has seen a link between school uniforms and health. After buying school shirts, shorts and dresses, most households have no money left to buy school shoes. Without shoes, the children are exposed to unsanitary conditions in school pit latrines, leading to infestation with fleas, bacterial attacks and tetanus.
"Shoes would be a formidable piece of clothing to improve the quality of life of these children. If one was to prioritise, wouldn't shoes be a better investment than school uniform?" Jungmann wonders. Besides, he observed that the shorts typically worn as part of school uniform are not adequate clothing during the cold season.
Most countries in the world require schoolchildren to be in uniform, but it's not mandatory in some countries. Notable countries that do not have school uniforms include the United States, Finland and Switzerland. The Federation of Teachers in Switzerland states in a position paper that the benefits of school uniforms are not clear. School uniforms are an "enormous affront to personal freedom," while prices would be unregulated. Finland also says mandatory school uniforms prevent learners from exercising their freedom of choice.
Opponents of school uniforms argue that there's no difference in educational achievement between countries that have mandatory school uniforms and those that don't. Here in Kenya, it is very likely school uniforms will continue being a part of our education system for many years to come regardless of their merits or demerits.
School uniform is part and parcel of Kenya's national tradition, but there is ample evidence proving that parents are being exploited when buying the attire. It remains to be seen whether Gathoni Wamuchomba's motion will be approved by the National Assembly and, if so, what standards will be used to make school uniforms affordable.
