Kenyan Education CS Urges Flexibility on Junior Secondary School Uniforms

Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Ezekiel Machogu has urged primary school heads not to turn away grade seven students lacking the new Junior Secondary School (JSS) uniform. Speaking at a county education event, he advised teachers to allow parents to purchase the uniform gradually. If parents face financial constraints, Machogu suggested students be permitted to use their grade 6 uniforms temporarily. He acknowledged the financial challenges some families are experiencing due to the rising cost of living and emphasized that lack of a new uniform should not hinder access to education.

The CS also cautioned against school administrators soliciting money from parents for JSS classroom construction, mentioning plans for 15,000 classrooms funded through a conditional grant and a World Bank grant. Machogu highlighted the government’s substantial budget allocation to education and encouraged parents to enroll students not meeting university entry requirements in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions for skill development and employment prospects.