Trade, Investment, and Industry Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has revealed his reservations regarding the need for compulsory school uniforms.
According to him, school uniforms have almost no impact on the quality of education learners receive.
This was revealed during a briefing in Nairobi where Kuria said that there is no need for school uniforms and that schools should not implement any kind of clothing policy.
This happened after Kuria notified schools that sell uniforms within their facilities saying that they violate the law.
In his view, schools that sell uniforms within their premises are colluding with uniform makers to sell their products within the school and this is impacting the country’s manufacturing sector negatively.
“We are mixing the issue of education with school uniforms because a few people, who are pre-enjoying this space of selling uniforms ask them where their sewing machines and tailors are,” said Kuria.
According to Kuria, the 40,000 secondary and primary schools across the country having a student population of around 14 million can provide a huge market to firms within the country.
He said that parents should be given the freedom and discretion to choose where to buy uniforms for their children.
Further, he said that his Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry will send trade officers to various schools across the country to ensure they comply with his directive and that schools should not sell uniforms because it is against the law.
“This is one major way to awaken our sleeping economy. Our schools are not going to be used as conduits by those people who are used to having it very easily. It is better to have more people at the bottom of the pyramid making uniforms than to have a handful of people doing that business,” added Kuria.
Kuria notified schools that sell uniforms within their premises saying that they are violating the law and that parents should have the freedom and the discretion to choose where they buy uniforms for their children.