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Schools Urged to Desist From Procuring Uniforms

By: , October 6, 2016

The Key Point:

Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, is advising school administrators to discontinue the practice of procuring uniforms for students.
Schools Urged to Desist From Procuring Uniforms
Photo: Dave Reid
Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, addresses a principals’ conference held recently at the Kendal Camp and Conference Centre in Manchester.

The Facts

  • “You have taken on that responsibility to procure and provide uniforms for all the students, depended on the supplier, and that supplier did not deliver on time. The students are out of uniform and we have all kinds of transactional problems with the schools,” he lamented.

The Full Story

Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, is advising school administrators to discontinue the practice of procuring uniforms for students.

He cited the recent case of an institution that ran into problems when a uniform supplier failed to deliver on time.

“You have taken on that responsibility to procure and provide uniforms for all the students, depended on the supplier, and that supplier did not deliver on time. The students are out of uniform and we have all kinds of transactional problems with the schools,” he lamented.

Senator Reid, who was addressing a principals’ conference at the Kendal Camp and Conference Centre in Manchester recently, told them to desist from including payment for items such as epaulettes as part of the registration package.

“You can’t put the epaulette on the voucher and say (to the parents) ‘if you don’t pay everything, you can’t get the items and they (the students) can’t attend school’; it is illegal,” he pointed out.

He said schools should encourage parents to pay for items called “consumables” separately.

He noted that the Ministry will shortly circulate a bulletin to clearly set out the policy.

Turning to other matters, Senator Reid informed that geotechnical work has been completed for the upgrading of the Bryce Primary School in the parish. He said the $23-million project will bring significant improvements to the institution.

Senator Reid further told the principals that the Ministry will be strengthening the furniture procurement process in order to ensure that “you will have furniture that you need on time, at the start of the school year”.

He said that a special repair and maintenance programme will be put in place for primary schools.

Last Updated: October 6, 2016

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