The Executive Secretary of the Institute for Education Studies (IFEST-Ghana) Dr. Peter Partey Anti, has told the Ministry of Education to rather channel resources into tackling the infrastructural challenges at the basic school level instead of changing the uniforms for basic schools.
He noted that most of the schools have infrastructural challenges, no access to internet and electricity.
Changing of uniforms, he said, should not be an issue for the government at the moment because there are other pressing needs in basic education
“It’s not an issue we should even be thinking about right now, we have pressing needs in our basic school system. Policies in the education sector aren’t for a select few but for the whole nation. The government needs to sit up,” he said on the Ghana Tonight show on TV3 on Thursday, April 25.
Government unveils new blue-white uniform: It’s not an issue we should even be thinking about right now. Policies in the education sector aren’t for a select few but for the whole nation. The government needs to sit up. – Dr. Peter Partey Anti, Executive Dir., IES#GhanaTonight pic.twitter.com/xMw4lxKhin
— #TV3GH (@tv3_ghana) April 26, 2024
He added “Our basic schools have deteriorated, most of the schools have infrastructural challenges, no access to internet, electricity and a plethora of other issues.”
The Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, had hinted at plans to change the brown and yellow uniforms worn by pupils of basic schools in the country.
According to Dr. Yaw Adutwum, this is part of many transformational initiatives to revive basic education and make it attractive in the country.
“We are changing the uniforms of public basic schools in the country. The yellow and brown that you see now, you will see no more. Reformation is coming to a community near you, and you will see it,” he revealed.
The Minister said this at a forum dubbed ‘The free SHS story’ in Accra on April 25, 2024.
The Education Minister also hinted of a change in color of the outlook of basic schools in the country.
“We are switching to blue and white. We are painting all the schools to give it an attractive outlook. This is the transformation Ghana deserves and it is coming,” he indicated.
The last time government changed school uniforms in the country was in 2019/2020 academic year.
In an effort to achieve universal primary education, the government, as part of its educational policy, initiated free school uniform distribution throughout the country in 2010, for junior high schools.
According to government data, a total of 170,221 pupils were supplied with free school uniforms in 2013 and it planned to supply 10,000 uniforms in 2014.
There are public programs to offer poor families financial help to buy uniforms.