KUPPET Want School Uniforms Abolished.
A debate has erupted over the cost of assisting children through school, as well as the burden that many parents bear.
Omboko Milemba, National Chairman of the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), stated on Tuesday, March 29, that school uniforms should be abolished due to their high cost.
During an interview with Citizen TV, Omboko argued that uniforms have been listed as one of the reasons why students skip school in several surveys.
According to the KUPPET director, uniforms are impeding access to basic education in Kenya, which is why the government has made it free.
However, rules imposed by teachers and other stakeholders regarding uniforms and other material necessities impede progress toward achieving free education.
“I can strongly tell you here that uniforms will finally be removed and ought to be removed. There is no correlation between uniforms and learning. I know that other stakeholders would argue that uniforms are used for identity, but a student is a student,” Omboko stated.
His remarks were prompted by calls from former Nairobi Education CEC Janet Ouko, who questioned the motives of school principals who asked parents to purchase uniforms at exorbitant prices from specific vendors.
Ouko urged the Ministry of Education to rethink uniform policy, rein in the uniform cartel, and regulate the education sector.
She cited schools in Nairobi where uniforms cost as much as Ksh36,000, not including the costs of mattresses, bedsheets, and blankets provided by the school.
ALSO READ:
“Somer of these people are importing from China because it’s cost-effective… Parents are traumatized because all schools in this country have contacted specific companies to supply uniforms,” she stated.
Ouko also expressed concern about the role of Boards of Management in raising fees in public schools.
She deplored the fact that BOMs have impacted national schools by enacting new laws without taking into account the socioeconomic status of various families.
KUPPET National Chairman Omboko Milemba during an interview on Tuesday, March 29, 2022.
COURTESY
KUPPET Want School Uniforms Abolished
