Why students must stick to school uniform

Students could have a thousand reasons for preferring casual attires as soon they step out of the school gates, but these reasons combined are still outweighed by the single reason authorities insist on uniforms outside school; when trouble knocks, no one will be able to identify you on the street as a student, writes Doreen Umutesi;-WHEN Elizabeth Kaitesi was in high school, it was unthinkable for a student to move around during school time when not wearing school uniform. Today, she looks on in astonishment as students change into casual wear, with the girls into their ‘adorable’ and tight-fitting pants, as soon as they step out of the school gate. The habit is common among secondary school students.Some students leave home in the morning with casual clothes, which they change into after school. Educationists argue that this compromises the security and identity of students in case of a problem. School uniform helps with identification of students in case of an emergence. But it also has a link to discipline and academic performance, according to academic research. Last year, the Ministry of Education gave directives on regulation of school uniforms, which schools are supposed to implement. The ministry directed that each student must wear uniform to and from school to ensure safety and easy identification of students. The requirement for students to wear school uniform is not only for safety and identification but a requirement for every student. John Rutayisire, the director-general of Rwanda Education Board (Reb), echoes the importance of the school uniform policy which schools must adhere to. “It’s a policy for all primary and secondary school going students to have a uniform. But the choice and colour of uniform is up to individual schools,” Rutayisire emphasises. He acknowledges that there have been challenges in implementing this policy. “One of the challenges is in the nine-year basic education schools where the government pays fees for everyone, but does not pay for the uniforms. The uniform is supposed to be paid for by the parents or guardians. But some of these parents or guardians are too poor to afford and hence take long to buy the uniforms for their children,” Rutayisire reveals. Schools speak out According to Sam Nkuruzinza, the Headmaster of Kagarama Secondary School in Kicukiro district, uniform is very important because it distinguishes students from other people. “Although we have never encountered a problem where a student can’t afford, if a student is not dressed in proper uniform, he or she will not enter the school premises,” Nkurunziza reveals. He further adds that besides sportswear, no other kind of wear is allowed in school apart from the uniform. “This is a boarding school, but we don’t allow casual wear on school campus and even when students are going back home or reporting back to school, we insist they put on a proper school uniform,” he emphasises. Ivan Mbaraga, a teacher at Green Hills Academy concurs. He says uniform is important both in school and outside school. “The image of a student in uniform and one without a uniform is totally different. A uniform’s main importance is for identify and for the student to look smart.” According to Green Hill standards, being smart require fully dressing up in the authorised school uniform.He further warns that if a uniform is misused, it gives a bad image and compromises the purpose and objective of a school uniform. Green Hills is one of the best schools with strict rules on school uniform and discipline. Mbaraga says the school doesn’t allow students to come to school unless they are dressed in uniform. However, for certain days, like if students have Physical Education, they come dressed in sports wear. “We have to explain to these students why it’s bad to abuse the school uniform like walking with their shirts hanging out or the tie loosened. We can do this as teachers, parents and the communities at large to promote smartness of Rwandan students,” Mbaraga advises. Parents speak outAlthough some schools have been blamed for the inappropriate dress code of students, fingers are also pointing at the Parents. Patricia Garuka Mugume, a mother of three, advises fellow parents to play a role in grooming children to embrace discipline and smartness.“If I see a student who is dressed up inappropriately, it makes me think that the parent is not paying proper attention to the child and how he dresses,” Mugume says. She calls for more involvement of parents in proper grooming of children. “I have done this with my daughter in nursery. She already knows that her uniform is supposed to be organised in a certain way in terms of presentation. This is the discipline they get when they are still young which will help them when they grow up,” Garuka reveals. She also says the uniform dress code in schools encourages and makes students relate as equals. “With the same uniform, we won’t have students saying you have this I don’t have that. If the students are dressed in school uniform, it helps them focus on studies without getting destructed on whether they are dressed better than their colleagues,” Garuka observes. Other parents agree with Garuka’s view. “We are supposed to shape morals of children. Dressing is part of the whole morality process. Allowing a child to wear an authorised school wear will send the wrong message. Students will think they can wear what they like,” argues a parent. Irene Umutoni, a mother of five, believes in schools that are strict on uniform.“The uniform makes students look decent and neat. Casual wear brings out an allure of indecency in a school setting. Schools have to be conscious of the kind of image they portray to the public,” says Umutoni.Gloria Ngabire, a teacher, echoes the view. “They look more of students when they wear uniform,” Ngabire argues.