Regional school uniforms introduced |13 January 2006

Compared to previously when each school had their own uniform, the director general of Schools, Jeanne Simeon, said yesterday that each region will now have a common one.

The primary schools on Mahe, Praslin and La Digue have been classed under five regions with each region having its own uniform colour.

Pupils in schools in the central region (Bel Eau, Mont Fleuri, La Rosière and Plaisance) will wear a red uniform with small squares. Those in the East (Anse Royale, Anse Aux Pins, Cascade and Takamaka) will have red-striped uniforms while those in the West (Anse Boileau, Baie Lazare, Grand Anse Mahe and Port Glaud) will all wear uniforms with blue stripes.

In the North region, (Anse Etoile, Beau Vallon, Bel Ombre, Glacis and La Retraite) primary pupils will wear uniforms with big and small bluish green stripes, whereas those who fall in the Inner Islands region (Baie Ste Anne, Grand Anse Praslin, La Digue and Silhouette) will wear uniforms with small dark green squares.

However, the uniforms for all secondary schools in the country will be of the same colour, and the change in colour will apply only to girls' skirts. They will wear blue skirts, and both girls and boys will wear white poplin blouses and shirts.

The boys in all schools will wear Khaki pants.

The secondary schools will be recognised by their school logos on the students' pockets.
The sale of the new uniforms will start today from 1.30 p.m. to 4.00 p.m. and on Saturday from 8.30 a.m. to 4.00 p.m., at the Department of Education offices and in respective schools. During the whole of next week, parents will be able to buy the uniforms in the schools of their respective district.

The uniform material for secondary students will cost R23.56 per metre, Khaki cloth will be on sale at R12.00 per metre and the white poplin will cost R5.90 per metre. The price for all primary uniforms is at R7.72 per metre.

Mrs Simeon stressed that the change in uniforms will be done on a gradual basis and that students will be able to continue wearing their old uniforms at the start of the school term. If the uniforms are still new, students will be able to wear them throughout the year.

She said the ministry has decided to introduce regional uniforms because it has found it more cost-effective to import in bulk.  Larger stocks for each region, she said would mean consistency in supply and availability of the materials at all times.
For instance, she said a parent with children in primary at Bel Eau could always go to Mont Fleuri school to buy uniforms, if the former has run out of the materials.

She said the uniforms will be sold with instructions to ensure that parents respect the patterns and specifications of design. She said the ministry has received several complaints from the public and parents about the way students, especially those from secondary schools wear their uniforms.

The director general said that the ministry will not tolerate hipster-style, short or tight skirts or baggy pants.

"The girls' skirts should be four centimetres below the knees, not too tight with a side pocket on the right hand-side and the boys' pants should be six centimetres above the knees, and simple" Mrs Simeon said.