SOWETAN

Give poor pupils free uniforms

By Bongekile Macupe | Jul 01, 2016 | 

The Congress of South African Students (Cosas) wants the government to provide free uniforms to poor pupils next year.

CAPTION: CRY FOR HELP: The Congress of South African Students has called on the government to provide free uniforms to poor pupils from next year, especially children from rural areas PHOTO: ANTONIO MUCHAVE

The organisation believes that if the government is already feeding pupils through the national school nutrition programme, and is also providing free textbooks and other pupil-teacher support material, it should also understand that there are pupils who cannot afford school uniforms.

Also read: All school uniform should bear the South African flag by 2017: Lesufi

Cosas secretary-general Khulekani Skosana said the same way the government is able to buy uniforms for prisoners, it has the same responsibility to buy uniforms for poor pupils.

"We still have students who walk to school barefoot and we think that is an embarrassment to the country. We're calling not only the government but the community at large to ensure that come 2017, there is no student who goes to school without a proper uniform.

"There should be no student who is turned away from the classroom because they are not wearing a uniform because they cannot afford it."

He said Cosas was not saying all pupils must be bought uniforms, but the initiative must benefit those who are poor.

". we are demanding free uniform for students in primary and high schools," he said.

Skosana said Cosas was already in consultation with several provincial governments to ensure they come on board and provide all poor students with uniforms next year.

He said the organisation was also engaging with the Department of Basic Education and the National Education Collaboration Trust "to say how do we assist needy students in rural and township areas with uniforms to restore and retain the dignity of the black child".

Cosas also wants to bring in the Presidency and the ANC to support its campaign.

Skosana said a lot of pupils are publicly shamed by teachers in classrooms for not having a school uniform and said the campaign hopes to bring an end to that.

"It is important that the campaign is implemented, particularly in the Eastern Cape where there are still a lot of rural schools and students cannot afford uniforms, and also in KwaZulu-Natal," he said.

The organisation also spoke out on those who wore school uniforms on June 16 only to go to clubs and taverns to drink.

"Every year on June 16 we're going to ensure that we respond to those who use our uniforms shamelessly.

"Instead of buying school uniforms and wearing it to go to a party on June 16, donate it to needy students."

macupeb@sowetan.co.za