The Competition and Tariff Commission (CTC) is working with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to address the issue of schools that require parents to purchase uniforms exclusively from them or selected suppliers.
This follows complaints from parents and guardians about inflated prices for uniforms, as well as concerns from small uniform manufacturers who feel excluded from the market.
In an interview with <a href="https://www.chronicle.co.zw/ctc-targets-school-uniform-monopolies/">The Chronicle</a> on the sidelines of World Competition Day commemorations in Bulawayo last week, CTC Mergers and Acquisitions Assistant Director Tatenda Zengeni revealed that the majority of schools are involved in this malpractice. Said Zengeni:
<blockquote>
We found out that they have been contravening the Competition Act and we issued a cease and desist order.
However, we found out that this practice is not unique to Warren Park High, but it was also prevalent in the majority of schools in Zimbabwe. So, we have decided to take a holistic approach.
We are engaging with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to try and come up with some kind of regulation that will be communicated to schools, directing them to stop engaging in this kind of anti-competitive practice.
Many times, you realise that when you go to those schools that force you to buy school uniforms from their tuck-shops or their preferred suppliers, the price will be excessive, so that is against the tenets of competition.
We are hoping that very soon we will reach a point where we agree with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and resolve this issue once and for all.
</blockquote>
As the number of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) involved in school uniform manufacturing continues to grow, forcing parents to purchase uniforms from specific suppliers creates a significant barrier for these small businesses.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Pindula News

The Competition and Tariff Commission and the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education are working together to stop schools from making parents buy uniforms only from them or selected suppliers. Many parents complained about high prices and small uniform makers felt left out. The CTC found that many schools were breaking the law and issued warnings. They are talking to the Ministry to come up with rules to stop this unfair practice. If parents have to buy from specific suppliers, it hurts small businesses. They want to fix this problem soon.

Competition And Tariff Commission Moves To End School Uniform Monopolies

The Government says it is illegal for schools to force parents to buy uniforms from them.
This comes after parents across the country have complained that schools are forcing them to purchase expensive uniforms.
In some cases, learners whose parents buy uniforms from shops are denied admission by schools.
Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education Deputy Minister, Edgar Moyo, said parents are free to buy school uniforms wherever they find them affordable. He was quoted by <a href="https://cite.org.zw/illegal-for-schools-to-force-parents-to-buy-uniforms-from-them-govt/">CITE</a> as saying:
<blockquote>
Children being forced to buy uniforms by schools is illegal. We have a free market economy and parents are supposed to buy wherever they have a cost advantage.
</blockquote>
Moyo acknowledged that the Ministry was aware that certain schools and school heads were forcing parents to buy uniforms from the schools. He said:
<blockquote>
Yes indeed, it has happened and some of it has been brought to our attention and we have taken action against such schools and headmasters.
No school should force children to buy uniforms from them nor should they create a situation where if you have not bought a uniform from them, then you have not gotten a place. That is not allowed, it is illegal.
</blockquote>
Moyo urged parents and guardians to report names of schools that required them to buy student uniforms at their schools so the ministry could take action. He said:
<blockquote>
We would like to get evidence of that and even the names of such schools so that we can then take corrective measures.
</blockquote>
In January this year, the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) wrote to the Goromonzi High School headmaster demanding that he allows two pupils into the school despite their failure to buy uniforms sold by the school.
According to ZLHR, Goromonzi High School said it is its policy that all pupils buy uniforms from the school and those bought even from renowned retailers such as Enbee Stores are not accepted.
ZLHR was representing the father of 2 minor children whose children were barred from attending lessons for not buying uniforms from the school even though they paid school fees in full.
The human rights lawyers demanded that the school’s headmaster unconditionally allow the minor children to attend lessons and permit them to purchase uniforms from a retailer of their choice.
In the event that the Headmaster failed to comply with the demands, ZLHR said they will immediately petition the High Court on an urgent basis seeking an order to compel the school authorities to allow the minor children to pursue their education at Goromonzi High, with the headmaster bearing the cost of the litigation.
More: <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Illegal For Schools To Force Parents To Buy Uniforms From Them - Minister

The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education says schools are allowed to manufacture and sell uniforms to learners.
Schools, however, should not force parents and guardians to buy uniforms from them if there are cheaper options. He said:
This was said by the director for Communication and Advocacy in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Taungana Ndoro, in an interview with <a href="https://www.sundaynews.co.zw/dont-force-parents-to-buy-uniforms-at-school/">State media.</a> Ndoro said:
<blockquote>
Schools are allowed to produce their own uniforms and sell them to the parents, it is very correct.
The uniforms have to be affordable and cheaper than the open market so that parents have access to them.
We also said the uniforms must meet the right quality, colour schemes and branding in order for them to be sold by schools.
What is wrong is then forcing the parents to buy strictly from the schools.
They must not be forced to buy where they do not want and where it is expensive.
</blockquote>
In January this year, the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) wrote to the Goromonzi High School headmaster demanding that he allows two pupils into the school despite their failure to buy uniforms sold by the school.
The human rights lawyers were representing the father of two minors who were barred from attending lessons for not buying uniforms from the school even though they paid school fees in full.
The lawyers said Goromonzi High School was selling its uniforms at exorbitant prices, yet they were of similar quality to those sold by shops.

"Schools Are Allowed To Produce And Sell Uniforms"

The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education says most schools are complying with the laid down fees review and payment guidelines.
Following an outcry by parents and guardians, the Ministry last week sent investigation teams around the country to clamp down on schools that were reportedly charging fees exclusively in foreign currency.
The country’s monetary regulations allow a multi-currency system even though some government services, such as passports, are available exclusively in foreign currency.
Some schools had joined the bandwagon and were charging fees exclusively in foreign currency, with some using an exchange of ZWL$2 000: US$1.
Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education spokesperson, Taungana Ndoro said schools have complied with the guidelines. He said:
<blockquote>
Regarding fees payment, most of the schools have complied with our guidelines.
Headmasters have also complied. They are not compelling parents to buy uniforms from schools’ approved suppliers. Guardians are being allowed to seek alternative suppliers.
</blockquote>
Heads of Government schools who increase school fees without following the guidelines will be deemed to have committed acts of misconduct and will be liable to disciplinary action, which may include dismissal, while private schools risk being deregistered for the same offence. | <a href="https://www.herald.co.zw/schools-comply-with-govt-order-on-fees/">The Herald</a>

'Schools Comply With Govt Order On Fees, Uniforms'

The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has warned school heads they will be charged with an act of misconduct if they force parents and guardians to buy school uniforms from the schools’ preferred suppliers.
Some schools are reportedly exclusively supplying uniforms to their learners or forcing parents to buy them from their preferred suppliers who are presumably their associates.
The Ministry’s spokesperson Taungana Ndoro said uniforms can be bought anywhere other than the school. Said Ndoro:
<blockquote>
If a head of a school defies the government and the permanent secretary’s directive, they would be charged with an act of misconduct.
Pursuant to the public pronouncement by the permanent secretary on 9 January 2018, I want to reiterate once more that parents/guardians are free to purchase uniforms wherever they find it cheaper in line with the specifications and colour codes of the school.
Therefore, the ministry’s position with regard to the purchase of uniforms remains unchanged.
</blockquote>
On Tuesday, <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/headmaster-threatened-with-lawsuit-over-school-uniforms/">the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) wrote to the Goromonzi High School headmaster</a> demanding that he admits two pupils who had not bought their uniforms from the school.
The headmaster had barred the two Form One siblings from attending lessons for buying uniforms from shops, even though they had fully paid their school fees.
ZLHR says the school is selling its uniforms at exorbitant prices.
According to ZLHR, the uniforms at the school are being sold at US$643 compared to US$325 being sold at various stores.
The human rights lawyers demanded that the school’s headmaster unconditionally allow the minor children to attend lessons and permit them to purchase uniforms from a retailer of their choice.
In the event that the Headmaster fails to comply with the demands, ZLHR said they will immediately petition the High Court on an urgent basis seeking an order to compel the school authorities to allow the minor children to pursue their education at Goromonzi High, with the headmaster bearing the cost of the litigation.

Govt Warns School Heads Over Uniforms

The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) has written to the Goromonzi High School headmaster demanding that he allows two pupils into the school despite their failure to buy uniforms sold by the school.
According to ZLHR, Goromonzi High School says it is its policy that all pupils buy uniforms from the school and those bought even from renowned retailers such as Enbee Stores are not accepted.
ZLHR is representing the father of 2 minor children whose children were barred from attending lessons for not buying uniforms from the school even though they paid school fees in full.
The human rights lawyers argue that Goromonzi High School is selling its uniforms at exorbitant prices, yet they are of similar quality to those sold by shops.
ZLHR has demanded that the school’s headmaster unconditionally allow the minor children to attend lessons and permit them to purchase uniforms from a retailer of their choice.
In the event that the Headmaster fails to comply with the demands, ZLHR said they will immediately petition the High Court on an urgent basis seeking an order to compel the school authorities to allow the minor children to pursue their education at Goromonzi High, with the headmaster bearing the cost of the litigation. ZLHR said in a statement:
<blockquote>
Because the right to education is sacrosanct, we have on behalf of a parent challenged an arbitrary directive compelling parents/guardians or students to buy exorbitantly priced uniforms sold exclusively by authorities at Goromonzi High School.
Our lawyer [Tinashe Chinopfukutwa] issued an ultimatum to authorities at Goromonzi High School demanding that they rescind their decision of barring 2 minor children from attending lessons after opting not to purchase exorbitantly-priced uniforms sold solely by the school.
The Headmaster at Goromonzi High School in Mash East province recently advised the father of 2 minor children that his children, who in December 2022, were accepted for enrolment to commence Form 1 studies at the school in January 2023, would not be admitted into the school if they had not purchased school uniforms, which were being sold exclusively by the school.
In response, the minor children’s father told the Headmaster that he was prepared to purchase school uniforms from Enbee Stores, the country’s leading school wear supplier, where similar school uniforms were being sold for about US$325 as compared to US$643 charged by Goromonzi High School.
The Headmaster totally indicated to the minor children’s father that if he purchases or otherwise acquires school uniforms anywhere else except buying the exorbitantly priced school uniforms being sold by the school, his children will not be admitted into the school.
To demonstrate this, school authorities denied allocating the 2 minor children a class or completing the admission forms even though their father had paid the school fees in full.
This compelled [Chinopfukutwa] of the [Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights], who on Monday wrote a letter protesting against the conduct of the Headmaster at Goromonzi High School and arguing that it was unlawful.
In his letter, which was also copied to Hon. Evelyn Ndlovu, of [the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education], Chinopfukutwa told the Headmaster that his decision to bar the school children access to learning on the basis that they did not buy expensive school uniforms solely from the school despite the fact that they had fully paid up the school fees and tuition constitutes a violation of the minor children’s right to education as provided for in terms of section 75 of the Constitution.
Moreover, Chinopfukutwa said the Headmaster’s decision also violates section 4(2)(a) of the Education Act, which prohibits the refusal of admission of any child to school.
The human rights lawyer protested that the Headmaster’s decision to insist that the minor children can only be admitted into school after they have bought exorbitantly priced school uniforms solely from the school is grossly unreasonable such that no other sensible person acting on the same facts and circumstances would arrive at the same decision.
Chinopfukutwa told the Headmaster that his insistence is not based on the quality or lack thereof of the uniforms from Enbee Stores but rather what he termed to be school policy, which demands that school uniforms must only be bought from the school, even when there are cheaper and affordable alternatives from reputable school uniform retailers.
He charged that the Headmaster’s insistence and the supposed school policy is grossly unreasonable and extortionate and demanded that he, by lunchtime on Monday 9 January 2023, unconditionally allow the minor children to attend lessons and permit them to purchase and or obtain school uniforms from Enbee Stores or any other outlet or source.
Chinopfukutwa said in the event that the Headmaster fails to comply with the demands outlined above, he will immediately petition the High Court on an urgent basis seeking an order to compel the school authorities to allow the minor children to pursue their education exploits at Goromonzi High School and the costs of such litigation would be borne by the Headmaster.
</blockquote>

Headmaster Threatened With Lawsuit Over School Uniforms

Girl’s High School Harare (GHSH) has angered scores of parents and guardians after it reportedly forced them to buy uniforms from its preferred suppliers but then failed to avail them on time, <a href="https://www.hmetro.co.zw/parents-clash-with-school-over-uniforms/">reported H-Metro</a>.
Parents who spoke to the publication said they paid for the uniforms and visited the boutique that supplies the school and is believed to be owned by some education officials but could not get the attire. 
Some Form One pupils were “humiliated” as they had to go to school wearing attire different from others. Said a disgruntled parent:
<blockquote>
The school must allow competent shops to sell their uniforms than humiliate our children in this way.
We paid the full amount on time, but the school failed to provide the uniforms, which they forced us to buy from them.
We failed to attend church on Sunday waiting for the uniforms at the school’s boutique where we were directed to buy them. We waited the whole day, but nothing came.
We are appealing to relevant authorities to consider banning schools from selling uniforms since there are licensed shops that are good at supplying them.
</blockquote>
One of the GHSH’s preferred boutique workers told H-Metro that the tailors were working very hard to complete the orders. She said:
<blockquote>
The owner of the shop has gone to the factory located at Lyton Industries to push tailors to double their speed.
Some angry parents went with her to the factory. More than 70 parents and guardians came to this shop, but our tailors are yet to finish 60 uniforms.
</blockquote>
Meanwhile, a petition circulating seeking permission to stop the school from supplying uniforms was being signed by a number of disgruntled parents and guardians.
Girl’s High School Harare changed its uniform in 2020 and since then, it has reportedly been failing to supply uniforms on time.
School authorities across the country have in the past been accused of changing uniforms will-nilly and then cashing in on the changes by using their associates to supply the new attire, in some cases at exorbitant prices.

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