The government's move to reintroduce new school uniforms in Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) was influenced by the decision to have Grade Seven domiciled in primary schools.
Speaking during an interview on Citizen TV on Monday, January 16, Collins Odote, a member of the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform asserted that the move was based on psychological reasons.
He explained that the introduction of the uniforms would be beneficial to the students who expected to transition to other schools.
"Some of them wanted to go to other schools and others wanted to go far from their current schools. We have denied them the opportunity. We must deal with psychological issues. Some had imagined that they would wear trousers.
"The least that we can do is to show them that they have transitioned, so let them have the uniforms," he stated.
On the other hand, Odote expressed that school management could also introduce new changes to the existing uniforms in order to save costs.
For instance, he indicated that schools could maintain the current uniforms and introduce long sleeve shirts and trousers instead.
The move to introduce new uniforms was also supported by other stakeholders who acknowledged its benefits, especially to the students.
"The students were prepared for a transition and even picked secondary schools and now we tell them that they won't move. There is something that needs to tell them that they have transitioned," Emmanuel Munyasa, Usawa Agenda Executive Director stated.
Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu tasked various schools' Board of Management (BOM) to pick the size and colour for the JSS uniforms. He explained that the move would help them distinguish the JSS from the primary schools.
However, parents are expected to purchase the uniforms as the government already catered for the fees.
A section of parents, on the other hand, expressed reservations over the delays they argued were economically disadvantageous to them given the short notice by the state.
Results for the Grade Six assessment are to be released today, Tuesday, January 17 ahead of school reopening on January 23.
