Dubai Ministry clarifies on school uniform order

The Ministry of Education has clarified that education zone administrations were instructed to obtain new unified school uniforms last year.Fawzia Hassan Gareeb, undersecretary at the ministry and assistant of the education operations section, said the Ministry did not instruct schools to enforce a unified school bag system, contrary to what some might be saying or doing by asking parents to buy a specific school bag.Fawziya said a guideline regarding the unified school uniforms was sent a year ago to the education zone administrations and that it will be implemented during the 2011/2012 school year. She said the new guideline takes into consideration the appropriate appearance of school students that are in line with the values of the school community of various education levels, and reaffirms the importance of the society's values and identity. The new guideline obligates male students to wear the dishdasha (kandura), the traditional UAE dress, as well as a sports uniform of a common colour and specifications. As for female students, Fawziya said that the ministry was very keen on taking into consideration the society's values and traditions when specifying the girl's school uniforms, saying that the new uniform will be distinguished by modesty while still reflecting the virtuous attributes of their society. The girl's sports uniform will be made according to specifications that ensure a modest appearance, while taking into consideration the comfort required for practicing their sport activities."The guideline was distributed to education zones as a guide to reach a unified appearance for students."The Ministry of Education has granted the education zones the authority to implement the guideline by coordinating with school administrations to agree to a specific uniform that will not be costly for parents and guardians," she said. From / Gulf News