Grade 7 learners to wear different school uniforms

The Ministry of Education has cleared the air on the school uniforms dilemma raised by parents and teachers of Grade 7 students.

In a press address on Monday, Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu said that Grade 7 pupils transitioning to Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) will be required to wear a different colour or type of uniform that will differentiate them from primary school pupils.

“There is need to distinguish the Junior Secondary School section, as a result a decision has been made that parents and management agree on the new uniforms for JSS learners. Because it is secondary, the uniform will not be the same,” said Machogu.

This means that even though the JSS students will be domiciled in their previous learning institutions, their school uniforms will differentiate them from the primary school learners.

Machogu added that after holding talks with parents and other stakeholders, the Board of Management of each school will come up with the new school uniform for JSS.

“Parents will have to bear responsibility of buying uniform for their children,” he said.

Other than the new school uniforms, parents whose children are in day schools will not incur extra costs as their tuition fees will be fully paid by the government.

“No school should charge any fees for Grade 7 learners unless such schools have boarding wings,” Machogu said adding that the government has set aside Ksh.9.6 billion for the learners in junior secondary this calendar year.

In this case, public schools have been prohibited from charging any admission fees for Grade 7 learners.

The ministry has also assured learners that there will be enough teachers to attend to them, even as the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) is set to recruit more.

A number of graduate teachers in Primary schools will be teaching in JSS, and have accordingly been prepared for the same.