A Competition Commission survey has revealed that a large number of schools are not familiar with a circular issued by the Basic Education Department regulating school uniform purchasing.
It states that school uniforms should be as generic as possible and should be obtainable from as many suppliers as possible. The Commission engaged with the Department and manufacturers to change the supply of school uniforms to make them more affordable.
In 2018, the commissioner initiated a complaint against a number of schools, as well as school uniform manufacturers and suppliers for potential contraventions of the Competition Act.
Parents complained that they could only buy from specifically identified suppliers without options . The circular also states that exclusivity should be limited to items that the school regards as necessary to obtain from pre-selected suppliers.
However, many schools in the country it seems are not aware of the circular as schools are set to re-open next week.
