Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 1217961,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1217961/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 48,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Seme, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr) James Nyikal",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Secondly, in a country where people live in very different backgrounds socially but the children go to the same school, uniform gives a sense of social equity. When children are in uniform, they feel equal and their economic background is not apparent just by looking at them, and that is extremely important. If you left students to attend school with whatever clothes they have, it will be apparent what their social background is when they come to school. At times some students get embarrassed because of the kind of clothes and shoes they wear. Having uniforms is an important aspect of education. Having said that, the real object of this Motion is the cost of uniforms. The cost of uniforms in this country is unbelievable. When you go to day secondary schools, the amount of money that is spent on uniforms is a significant proportion of the school fees. What is expected of girl-students is that they are supposed to have skirts, blouses, sweater and windbreakers. These are things they do not normally use at home. They are supposed to have school shoes, sport shoes and bathroom slippers. These children would not afford these items in their home situations. They are now forced to have these items in the schools. In an average family in this country, when one child goes to secondary school, the cost of taking them to school is enormous. The resources that go to a single child, apart from the school fees, drains the family. It is important that we set a standard that will actually support the families. Hon. Temporary Speaker, there is need for regulation. What we are asking for is basically a policy, which is what this Motion is asking for. In my view, the reason why we need this is because there are cartels in school uniform. When children report to school, in some cases, they are required to pay directly to the school for uniform items, which are thereafter provided. The cost that parents incur is much higher than what you would find in the open market. It has gone to an extent where in those markets there are cartels. The children are directed to specific shops. In some cases, when schools open, traders go to school under the connivance of the school heads so that they are paid directly and the costs are extremely high. This is something we must bring to a halt. If you talk to parents when schools are open, you will realise that there is obvious expectation that there are cartels and school heads who are involved in this malpractice. There is need for policy and some form of regulation. I would advise that these policies regulate the market. The schools should indicate the colour and material of the uniforms and give parents the liberty to decide where to make them. Some parents are tailors and can get the material to make the uniform themselves. Why do school administrators insist that parents must buy uniforms from certain shops? In my opinion, this is the best way forward to avoid these cartels. I do not think we should get the Government involved in the production or the regulation of school uniform. This will bring us into another bureaucracy which will involve cartels and the cost of uniform will increase. I think this is an area we should look into and save the parents unnecessary costs as we cloth children in similar uniform for discipline and social equity. There is an important issue that we need to look at. Is this something that should be coming up at this point considering the outcry that we have been having? Is it something in respect of which there should have been a policy in the Ministry of Education a long time ago? If you look at the Order Paper today, what we are seeing is a deficiency in overall policy governance. This Motion is talking about standardisation and production of school uniforms. Order No.9 is talking about registration of beneficiaries to the Older Persons Cash Transfer Programme. Again, these are matters affecting families that should be in the form of Government policies. They should not come to the House in the form of Motions. Order No.11 is on reduction of the cost of electricity and Order No.12 is on funding for junior secondary schools."
}