Government Allows Junior Secondary School Students To Use Old Uniforms

The Government has ruled that students transferring to Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) are allowed to use their old schools’ uniforms.

On Tuesday, February 28, at State House Nairobi, under the direction of President William Ruto, they reached this consensus. No students should be expelled for not having new school attire, according to the Cabinet Secretaries.

“Cabinet considered the progress being made in the implementation of the transition to Junior Secondary School, which is part of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).

“The Cabinet directed to foster equal opportunity for all our nation’s children, even where the transition to Junior Secondary School may warrant a change of uniform, no student should be turned away from school for lack of school uniform so long as they are kitted in their primary school uniforms,” part of the statement reads.

In December 2022, Junior Secondary School leadership was given the green light to determine uniforms for their respective schools in consultation with their respective stakeholders and the Sub-County Director of Education (SCDE).

The outfits would also have extra distinctive elements for branding and institution identification. The JSS uniforms should also respect the religious and cultural values of the various communities.

The Ministry of Education also mandated that parents are responsible for purchasing uniforms, and no school shall advise parents on where to do so. Nonetheless, JSS were advised not to bar learners from moving on to the next level because they couldn’t afford school uniforms in the statement.

This comes even as several Members of the National Assembly demand the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) be scrapped, citing costs and poor preparation.

Lawmakers from both sides of the divide united in demanding that the government abolishes the new system, saying it is too expensive.

But Education committee chairperson Julius Melly (Tinderet) defended the curriculum saying the challenges being experienced were not new as the same was witnessed during the transition to the 8-4-4 system.

“I remember when 8-4-4 was started in 1984/1985 Kenyans were up in arms and wanted us to go back to the old system. The issue that I know is of contention is the issue of teaching staff which we need to address,” he said.

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