Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms(PWPER) wants the Ministry of Education(MoE) to come up with a policy framework on dress codes for all levels of education.
This is according to the recommendations the committee handed over to President William Ruto on Tuesday, August 1, 2023.
The committee noted that school uniforms are pricey for parents since the institutions collude with suppliers and force parents to buy from a specific supplier.
The recommendation also comes months after the government banned schools from selling uniforms.
In January, the Trade and Industry Cabinet Secretary (CS) Moses Kuria called out schools for turning the uniform business into a minting venture.
"The Ministry of Education has been very categorical that our schools have no business selling uniforms, our teachers need to focus on academia and helping our children to transition to CBC and other objectives that the ministry has set," he stated noting that parents have the freedom to purchase uniforms wherever they want.
"The ministry has sent a circular and as a matter of fact the ministry will send another circular today that our parents have absolute freedom and discretion on where to buy uniforms," Kuria stated.
In March, Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba tabled a motion seeking to make uniforms affordable to all students from both private and public schools.
"This House, therefore, resolves that the Ministry of Education develops a policy on standardization and production of school uniforms in the country," Wamuchomba said.
Adding;
"Some schools demand that parents pay uniform money to specific school accounts, a move that locks out many children whose parents cannot afford."
