Thu, 19 Jan 2017 08:24:57 +0000
BY TAWANDA MUNYUKI
LUSAKA residents have raised concern over the continued demand by some school management boards that all uniforms must be bought from their respective schools.
The residents have complained that some named schools in Lusaka are forcing parents to buy uniforms from their schools, saying school authorities will not allow pupils wearing uniforms that were not bought from the school.
The residents have complained that school uniforms bought at schools were very expensive, stating that they were much cheaper in the marketsand other outlets.
Dainess Kabwe, a concerned parent, complained that uniforms are expensive in schools, making it hard for some people to buy from the institutions.
Ms. Kabwe said that the purchase of uniforms should be left entirely to parents because they have the right to decide where to get their uniforms without any interference.
She said that it was unfortunate that some schools were forcing parents to buy uniforms from their institutions without consideration whether they could afford or not.
Ms. Kabwe said that school managements should not run Government schools as though they were managing private schools.
‘’It is unfortunate that some schools are still forcing us to buy uniforms at the school despite the ministry intervening in the issue last year and assuring us that buying uniforms at the school is not mandatory,’’ she said.
And Joyce Chansa, another resident, charged that some schools are using the sale of uniforms to make money for themselves.
Ms. Chansa alleged that school authorities are taking advantage of Government’s failure to monitor school operations to force people into buying uniforms from their schools.
She complained that parents should be free to buy uniforms from where they can afford as long as it matched the school uniforms. Last year Ministry of General Education spokesperson Hilary Chipango emphasized that it was not mandatory for parents to buy uniforms from the various schools.
Mr. Chipango said parents were free to buy uniforms from wherever they could afford as long as it matched the official school uniform.
