The Competition Commission said it had previously warned against anticompetitive behaviour in this sector and made recommendations that schools need to ensure that the uniforms are as generic as possible. Dr Eileen Carter, provincial head of the SAHRC in the Eastern Cape, said the country needs to go back to basics and look at whether school uniforms still fulfil the purpose they were intended for. The Eastern Cape office of the SAHRC conducted a study in 2022 into the alleged excessive regulation of learners' appearances and school uniforms. She said questions around school uniforms are extremely important, and forms the basis for the SAHRC tabling its report on school uniforms in Parliament. "We hope to receive a date soon where we will be presenting this to the portfolio committee. "Factors to include in this assessment should involve an evaluation of whether school uniform materials and items are contributing to accessing basic education or if a compulsory standard uniform that caters to the physical and socioeconomic needs of pupils and their families is recommended based on current research. The DBE should make it clear that expensive clothing, such as blazers, is not compulsory." Carter said: "It may be prudent for us to go back and ask what is the purpose of a 7yearold child wearing a blazer in 42 degree heat in the Northern Cape. Do the parents have the capacity not only economically but at home to iron shirts during load shedding?" Another factor that came to the fore in the inquiry was the issue of genderneutral uniforms. She said such uniforms did not undermine learning in any way and in fact promoted equality among pupils. In their report, the SAHRC Eastern Cape revealed that school uniform and appearance policies often lack gender sensitivity and inclusivity, reinforcing traditional gender norms and presenting challenges for gender nonconforming and transgender students in expressing their identities. Speaking on the issue of directives on uniforms, Matakanye Matakanya, the general secretary of the National Association of School Governing Bodies SGBs , said they would not support such a move as it would render the existence of the school governing bodies moot. He said school uniforms should not be used as a tool for discrimination when a child is being admitted to school. "SGBs represent parents, therefore dress code policies must favour the constituency, which are parents. We do not want evergreen contracts in our schools."

Source: Cape Times