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, reported H-Metro.
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:
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.
One of the GHSH’s preferred boutique workers told H-Metro that the tailors were working very hard to complete the orders. She said:
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.
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.