The Ministry of Education will be paying RD$2 billion to change school uniforms in time for the 2023-2024 school year.
Reactions to the information on the change of school uniforms have not been long in coming, and citizens through social networks have questioned the need for the changes in clothing.
According to the head of Education, the change of the school uniform seeks to universalize at national level the provision of clothing, and that the agreed colors (sky blue and navy blue) will “make life easier for both parents and students”.
The Inabie agency of the Ministry of Education argues that the change in uniforms also seeks to physically and emotionally protect adolescent girls and young women in relation to taking care of their privacy and menstrual period.
Nevertheless, Roberto Rosario, spokesperson for the Fuerza del Pueblo opposition party, says lots of businesses will lose their contracts.
“The abrupt change of school uniforms will have a negative impact on small and micro enterprises. These entrepreneurs had accumulated a good amount of merchandise for the manufacture of the uniforms,” he said. He also said that the change will ruin these companies.
Meanwhile, Inabie informed last week that the 2023-2024 school period will be a transition period and the current colors can continue to be used without this leading to the loss of the contracted merchandise that is in the warehouses.
In addition, it was reported that a prudent period of 17 months was granted for production to adjust to the changes.
The Ministry of Education says that its procurement agency (Inabie) will not be spending more for the change of the uniforms. The Ministry of Education says that using the same uniform nationwide will facilitate distribution nationwide.
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N Digital
26 April 2023