Back to school: Uniforms add to parents’ load

It’s back to school for inland schools on Wednesday and as South Africans battle economic hardship, the price of school uniforms has become another burden.

Uniform shopping

Shirley Rapilwana was shopping for her daughter Bontle’s Grade 8 uniform.

“The school just changed the school clothes, so we cannot look at second-hand clothes. We have to buy everything new,” she said.

Bontle said she was excited to be starting her high school career but a bit scared because she was going to a new school where she didn’t know anybody.

Christina Chauke from Mabopane said buying school clothes was tough. “Luckily, it’s not the whole uniform, I only have to stock up on socks and shirts, but my oldest son needs a new school bag and tracksuit,” she said.

“It’s stressful because there is no money, I have to use my [South African Social Security Agency] grant to buy this,” she said.

Chauke said she had to budget to pay for a taxi home. Wonderboom Hoërskool principal Marius Lezar said the school met suppliers last year to standardise the school colours and clothes.

“A new set of school clothes, which includes pants, shirt and socks cost R700. It doesn’t include the blazer, sportswear or a jersey,” he said.

Lezar said uniforms were available at the school clothes shop and four other independent suppliers. “At the clothes bank, we also sell previously owned uniforms donated by matrics at the end of their school career.”

Mary’s outfitters

Some parents had travelled from as far as Mabopane to shop at Mary’s Outfitters in Pretoria CBD, where they waited in long queues to get their school shopping done before the back-to-school rush.

One of Mary’s Outfitter’s owners, Salmaan Dockrat, said January was their busiest time of the year. Dockrat said they stocked most uniforms except for some private and Afrikaans schools.

“For R800 we can give you two standard uniforms. Two shirts, two pants, two pairs of socks and a tie,” he said.

Investigation

The Competition Commission warned it would investigate and prosecute any school or supplier not complying with the uniform Act as parents flock to various school suppliers to get ready for the new academic year.

Competition Commission spokesperson Siyabulela Makunga said the commission has successfully prosecuted and entered into settlement agreements with some of the schools found to have contravened the Act pertaining to school uniforms.

“The commission has issued guidelines on procurement of school uniforms and learning materials.

“In these guidelines, the commission encourages schools to appoint more than one supplier, to enable parents/guardians a right of choice while ensuring affordability of school uniform items,” he said.

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Makunga said that when schools decide to have one supplier, they needed to ensure there was a competitive bidding process for the tender.

“We are appealing to parents to actively engage [school governing bodies] and principals on the need to comply with the guidelines.

“It is in the interest of learning and teaching that schools don’t find themselves in protracted litigation, which may take forever.

“The guidelines promote more inclusive decision-making on how and where to procure school uniforms,” he said.

“If found guilty by the Competition Tribunal, suppliers may be liable to pay an administrative penalty of up to 10% of their total revenue.”

Curro complaint

Curro was one of the schools the commission initiated a complaint against in 2019. It denied any wrong doing and entered into a consent agreement committing to complying with the code of conduct, including making uniform items as generic as possible, to be obtained from multiple suppliers and limiting the unique uniform items in the basic compulsory uniform.

Curro did not respond to a request for comment.

South African Teachers’ Union chief executive Chris Klopper said the cost of a school uniform was lower than four to five sets of clothes for school wear.

“Uniforms also reduce bully behaviour. Children can be cruel and bully children who come to school in inferior clothes,” he added.

Klopper said school uniforms also established the principle of unity and team behaviour that was essential in schools.

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