MPs back PS on trousers ban

AS debate over the ban on trousers for female pupils continues, Members of Parliament (MPs) say the country must act in line with its laws when addressing the issue.

This follows the ministry of education stating that trousers for female pupils were banned in schools last week, citing Circular 10 of 2017.

Ministry of Education and Training Principal Secretary Naniki Mnisi clarified the ban, stating that tracksuits have not been banned and remain permitted on sports days, while trousers were not allowed as part of the regular school uniform.

The PS said female pupils were expected to wear skirts or tunics on ordinary school days, with tracksuits reserved for sporting activities.

This came after some schools started introducing trousers for female learners.

Ministry of Education and Training Portfolio Committee Chairperson and Sithobela MP Manqoba Sihlongonyane said the principal secretary raised the issue with them during a workshop. He said the only thing he could say on the matter was that the decision that they take needs to align with the law.

“Whatever we do should align with the country’s laws. If we want changes, they should align with the laws and be introduced lawfully.

There are many questions that we need to ask ourselves on this debate but at the end, we must align with the law,” he said. Timphisini MP Thulani Nsingwane said they enacted laws as Parliament and then give them to officials to implement. He said the PS knows the law and they trust her in that regard.

“The PS is dedicated in her job and she might have noticed something wrong happening. There are laws that are being followed in the country and we are going to support the PS, all that will help build the country especially if it is lawful,” he said.

Nsingwane added that government officials were trusted by Parliament to make sure that laws are implemented after being enacted. He said they were not there to fight against officials, stating that if officials have discovered that the law was not being followed, they have a right to bring order.

“We know that females are supposed to wear skirts and males should wear trousers,” he said.

He added that they could not get into the contents of the debate, stating that if the ministry proposed changes that would make learning hard for pupils, then they would be against it as MPs. He said the country’s education policy was clear that females will wear skirts while males wear trousers.

Mhlambanyatsi MP Dr Bonginkhosi Dlamini said the PS raised the issue during the recent retreat they had at Sibebe Resort. He said the PS stated that the country had an education policy which spelt out different uniforms for male and female pupils.

“Until the policy changes and becomes what people want, the nation must follow the current one. If we want to change and allow pupils to wear miniskirts and trousers in school, it should be reflected in the education policy and not change things because we are being emotional,” he said. Dlamini said the PS could only be offside when she speaks about something that is not in the policy.

He said the PS’s duty was to drive the country’s policy and implement the laws from Parliament. He said the education policy was enacted and approved by government.

“Until government changes its stance, we cannot say the PS is offside. The PS is implementing what is in the education policy. The situation is similar to enacting a law and then going against it, which is not good. If there is a need for female pupils to wear miniskirts and trousers, let us change the policy first,” he said.