School uniform sales slow as February reopening approaches

Although the Ministry of Education has announced its intention to have lower forms and standard five students return to physical classes in February, sales of school uniforms have still been slow in the past few weeks.

On Monday, the ministry issued a release which confirmed students forms one-three will be required to return to the physical classroom from February 7, on a rotational basis. It said all students will have to attend school physically at minimum two days per week, and five days in a ten-day cycle.

The release also said standard five students are required to attend physical classes from February 7-March 31.

A manager at Ishmael M Khan Bookstore in Port of Spain, who requested anonymity, said there hasn’t been much activity in the sale of uniforms since the ministry's announcement in December.

She said parents were probably waiting to see if the government would move forward with its plan, given the increase in covid19 cases, particularly the variant of concern omicron.

She said it is possible interest will increase in the coming weeks, now that the ministry has confirmed its plan.

Manager of Runel Enterprises in Siparia Nalini Balkissoon-Ramlal also said there has not been much interest in uniforms in the past few weeks, but on Tuesday, the store received several calls from parents asking about sizes, availability and prices.

She said in the past week the store had only had about four parents buying uniforms.

“I don’t know if next week will have a rush,” she said. “People don’t have funds now. They are probably waiting on month-end salaries.”

She said some parents may not want to send their children to school because of the rising number of covid19 cases. But she is hoping sales improve in the coming days.

A manager from Charrans Bookstore, who also requested anonymity, said she noticed only one or two parents coming in looking for uniforms. She said although people are still buying, it has not been a lot.

“January is a very hard month,” she said. “It’s a difficult and challenging time. People are waiting for month-end.”

She said with many people being paid midway into December, the long wait for January month-end is hard on people. She too is hopeful sales will increase in the coming days.

CEO of the Catholic Education Board of Management (CEBM) Sharon Mangroo, in an interview with Newsday on Monday, said schools will have some flexibility where uniforms are concerned.

“Parents have lost their jobs. It’s hard,” she said. “Our principals will be understanding. They understand you have to keep order, but not being so hard you deny a child their education because they don’t have their uniform.”

She said there have been instances in online schooling where students don’t appear in their full uniform, and parents are not demanded to have their children in uniform if they are not able.

General secretary of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha Vijay Maharaj also told Newsday on Monday that stakeholders told Minister of Education Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly that some children would have outgrown their uniforms.

“We cannot ask parents to put out (money) for uniforms right now.”

He said stakeholders suggested that schools use their physical education (PE) or school sports uniforms instead, which usually consist of a track pants and a T-shirt.

“Some parents can only afford one solid meal a day.”

He said another alternative would be to have students attend classes in normal daily clothes.

“We can’t ask parents to spend money on uniforms for six-eight weeks (of the school term).”