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Obuhatsa said schools have not been overcharging parents when it comes to buying uniforms.
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"Uniforms have their own cost," he said.
Image: FILE
National Parents Association Chairperson Silas Obuhatsa is now calling for parents and school heads to agree on where school uniforms are to be bought ahead of form one admission in 2024.
The NPA boss said though he supports the directive by the ministry to allow parents to purchase secondary school uniforms from anywhere, it might present a challenge to schools with special uniforms.
"We have a challenge because there are schools that have got some special uniforms. Look at schools like Nairobi school, Starehe Boys and Alliance. Some of these schools purchase their uniforms from special designers and the schools have purchased their uniforms from those designers for years," Obuhatsa told the Star on Tuesday.
He said it might be a very big challenge for parents to access school uniforms of that quality as much as they are allowed to buy uniforms from where they want.
Obuhatsa said the directive might also delay some learners to report for admission if they fail to get the uniforms from the market on time.
"But if the uniforms are bought through principals it will be much easier for the parents to access uniforms," the NPA boss said.
"Maybe parents and school heads should sit together and agree on how the school uniforms can be purchased and how parents can get those uniforms probably at a lower cost."
In his opinion, Obuhatsa said schools have not been overcharging parents when it comes to buying uniforms.
"Uniforms have their own cost. So the only work that school heads do is to order for the uniforms to come to school for the parents to buy."
"There are common schools that can get uniforms from the streets but some of these national schools finding the uniforms from the street might cost them more," he said.
"Once sellers in the streets realise parents have been asked to buy uniforms from anywhere, uniforms might become scarce in the market. Some scrupulous people will run and get all the material and just pile them in their shops so they are the only ones selling."
He said the sellers might also decide to hike the prices since the uniforms are to be sold on the streets.
This comes after Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu on Monday while presiding over the release of the 2024 form one placement said schools shouldn't force parents to purchase uniforms from specific outlets.
The CS said the ministry is committed to ensuring that parents and guardians with learners joining Form One are not overburdened with unnecessary requirements that have extra financial implications.
"Parents and guardians will have the liberty to source school uniforms from any distributors of their choice so long as the outfits comply with the specifications of respective schools," Machogu said.
"Schools have been asked to provide the specifications of their uniform, which include design, quantity required, and colour or shade."
Machogu said the move will empower parents to make choices that suit their budgetary constraints.
Machogu also announced that the reporting date for all 2024 Form One learners will be on January 15, 2024.