THE ministry of education and training is set to review its controversial ban on trousers as part of girls’ school uniform.
This follows legal advice that the directive may be inconsistent with the Constitution of 2005.
Minister of Education and Training Owen Nxumalo disclosed this yesterday during his visit to William Pitcher College, where he engaged the institution’s management and Student Representative Council (SRC) on issues affecting the college.
Nxumalo said the ministry had received advice from the attorney general (AG) indicating that the ban was not in line with the Constitution, prompting the need to reconsider the policy.
“We have to review the policy because, as per the Constitution, you cannot dictate to people on how they should dress,” the minister said.
He maintained that policies introduced by government institutions could not supersede the Constitution and that any directive found to be inconsistent with the supreme law of the land had to be reviewed and aligned accordingly.
The minister’s remarks followed concerns raised by William Pitcher College Principal Ntombifuthi Mhlongo, who highlighted the institution’s limited autonomy in making operational decisions, particularly those relating to procurement.
Mhlongo explained that the college was required to seek authorisation from the ministry before undertaking various activities, including relatively minor purchases. She said the arrangement had become burdensome and hindered the institution’s ability to operate efficiently.
In response, Nxumalo said the situation required urgent attention, arguing that administrative procedures should facilitate service delivery rather than obstruct it.
The minister called for an urgent review of the administrative procedure, which he believes was undermining service delivery at William Pitcher College.
“His Majesty has mandated us to bring services to the people, and if such policies are affecting service delivery, they have to be done away with. No one can come from heaven to change them, but we are the ones who have the responsibility of changing them,” he said.
The minister added that government institutions had a responsibility to reassess procedures that were no longer serving their intended purpose.
“We are the ones who came up with such procedures, and if we realise that they are not working for us, let us review them,” he said.
Nxumalo said once consensus had been reached on the proposed changes, he would present the matter to Cabinet, explaining that procedures which might once have been effective were now impeding service delivery.
He emphasised that the review should not be limited to the college’s administrative challenges, but should extend to other ministry policies that were similarly affecting the delivery of services.
The minister’s position signals a broader push to reconsider existing regulations, with both the school uniform dispute and the college’s procurement challenges highlighting the need to assess whether current policies remain appropriate and effective.
Meanwhile, the minister’s remarks could signal a significant shift in the on-going debate over school uniform regulations, which has attracted public attention following calls for girls to be allowed to wear trousers as part of their ordinary school uniform.
The issue gained further prominence on September 24 when Duze High School attracted widespread attention on social media after introducing trousers as a uniform option for female pupils. The move received considerable support from social media users, many of whom argued that trousers offered a more practical alternative to skirts, particularly shorter ones.
However, the ministry had previously maintained a firm position against the introduction of trousers as part of the official school uniform for girls.
During the Teachers’ Day commemoration at the Metropolitan Evangelical Church recently, Principal Secretary (PS) Naniki Mnisi warned headteachers against independently introducing trousers for female pupils without following the ministry’s prescribed procedures.
Mnisi said the ministry had received reports that some schools were planning to introduce the alternative uniform, but insisted that all institutions were expected to comply with the existing policy, which required girls to wear skirts or tunics on ordinary school days.
She further warned that the Director of Education Dr Tholakele Mngometulu-Dlamini would visit schools that defied the directive and engage parents on the matter.
Clarifying the uniform regulations, Mnisi explained that tracksuits had not been banned for female pupils but were permitted on sports days, while skirts and tunics remained the prescribed attire for ordinary school days.
