HBSU has not yet done much workmon African school uniforms. Generally speaking they have followed European styles. HBC does not know of any country where there are school uniforms based on indigenous tribal fashions. Some North African countries have adopted French or Italian smocks. In Sub-Saharan Africa, French and British school uniform styles have been important. The poverty of many African countries has meant many families can not afford school uniform. Uniforms are most prevalent in the more prosperous urban areas. Some secondary-age boys in recent years have objected to wearing short pants uniforms. Hopefully some African readers will help us build the HBC African school pages, but we note that there are very few HBC viewers from African countries.
HBC does not yet have detailed information on Algerian school uniforms. Most of our informaion on Algeria comes from the colonial era. France was the colonial powe and Algerians fought a long and brutal war during the 1950s and early 60s, at times looking more like a civil war, to achieve independemce. We have acquited some images from European schools that existed in the country before independence. The school uniform styles reflect the clothing worn by conmtemporary European boys. We believe at one time smocks were widely worn in Algerian schools, but have few details on modern Algerian schools.
The Portuguese reached Angola in the 15th century. They established trading posts, but did not begin to colonize the interio until the 19th century. It was thus the Portuguese that established the fiurst schools. Thisdid nit begin to any extent until the 19th century. The language of instruction was Portuguese. There were separate schools for the Portuguese and the African population. African access to educational w very limited for most of the Portuguese colonial period. Schools fun by the government were limited and mostly confined to the cities. The Government did finance schools for the Portuguese, but schools for the Africans population were mostly bleft to Roman Catholic and Protestant missionaries.
Each of the missions established its own school system, although all were subject to Portuguese regulations. Thgere was limited supersion by Portuhuese authorities except for how political issues were addressed. Portuguese authorities began giving more sttention to african education (1960s). This was about the same time that the independence movement began to develop. At the time African illiteracy was very high, probably about 85 percent. Few Africans achieved a secondary education. The development of a modern education was limited, g\first by the indeoendenmce war and than the civil war between rival groups thst fought for independence. Considerable progress has been made in education in recent years. The iliteravy rste has been cut in half to about 40 percent. Oil revenue has helped the country finance its school system. Children enter primary school at about age 7 years. School is compulsory for children age 7-25 years. Public education is free. Portuguese continued to be the language of instruction in schools after independence. There has been a gradual shift to vernacular (tribal) lnguages. One source reported 1.0 million primary students (1991), 0.2 million secondary students (992), and 31,000 teachers (1992). This is the last year for which stztistics are available, suggesting the weakness of the Governmental administration system. The Government allocated 2.6 percent of GDP to education (1999).
The principal univeristy is the University Agostinho Neto in Luanda, founded in 1963. There were 6,331 students in tertisry institution and 787 teaching staff (1999).
The Democratic Republic of Congo was a Belgian colony until 1960. The Belgian Congo covered an emense area of central Africa. Ling Leopold administered the colony as his own private fiefdom
and terrible attrocities were committed by the Belgians during his reign. Belgium granted the country independence (1960), but had not prepared it for independence. While mineral rich, the country has drifted back and forth between turbulance, cuvil war and dicttatorial rule. The country changed its name to Zaire (1971-1997). Belgiam left a basic educational system, but much of it has deteriorated.
There were some schools in ancient Egypt, but only a few and very small number of children attended them. All the pupils were boys. Most children learned from their parents at home. In Egypt's strictly statified society, most boys pursued the occupation of their fathers and women stayed at home to maintain the houshold. The wealthy elite might have private tutors, normally a slave. Access to schooling was wider during the Roman era, but still very limited. Egypt was conquered by the Arabs (7th century). We have little information about Arab schools. Egypt after the construction of the Suze Canal became a British protectorate (1882). As Egypt was not a colony, Egyptians retained responsibility for local government, including education. This mean there was still very limited public education through the first half of the 20th century. Egypt has made considerable progress in recent years to expand educational opportunity. One estimate suggests that as many as 95 percent of the school age children attend primary schools. Most of the children who do not, especially those who drop out are girls. Even so, the education of girls is much higer than ever before. Youth literacy rate have increased from from 61 percent in 1990 to about 85 percent in 2007. Resources are limited and the Government is unable to fund schools. The quality of state education is seen as relastively poor. Other problems include the wide-spread use of corporal punishment. The current Egyptian educational system is divided unto primary, intermediate and secondary schools. Elementary education is free and compulsory for children between the ages of 6 and 12 years of age. Graduates of the primary schools may attend either a general intermediate school, which prepares for a secondary education, or a technical intermediate school specializing in industrial and agricultural subjects. The secondary school system is similarly divided into general schools, with curricula designed to prepare students for a teriary education, either universities or technical schools. Only about 45 percent of the adult population is literate. Many women in particular are illiterate.
We know nothing about historic education in Eritrea at this time. Italy colonized much of what what is now Eritrea and Somalia in the late-19th century. They founded some schools, but we have few details. The British seized the Italian colonies during World War II and Eritra was annexed by Ethiopia. We have little information on schools during the Ethiopian period. After a long independence struggle, Eritrea gained its independence at the time of the fall of Ethiopia's Marxist Government. A Eritrean source reports on schools in modern Eritrea, "Education is well organized in Eritrea. Tuition is subsidized by the government and studies relevant to the development of Eritrea are their main focus. In the first 10 years of independence, Eritrea has invested heavily in education. School enrollment increased by 270 percent at the Elementary and middle levels and by 185 percent at high School level. Education starts at the age of five with two years for social interaction and adjustment of behavioral reaction. Thereafter follow five years of Elementary School at the age of seven until grade five, where the children learn to read and write, operations, mathematics, biography, geography, Eritrean history, singing, arts and sports. Primary education is followed by 2 years of middle School (grade 6 and 7) where the subjects mentioned above are deepened. Finally there is four years of Secondary School (grade 8 to 11) with the subjects physics, chemistry, biologics, history, geography, mathematics, English and civics."
The medium of instruction in Ghanian schools is English, There are various Ghanaian dialects that are also taught.
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We have only limited information at this time on school uniforms in Kenya. A HBC reader writes, "While watching BBC-TV yesterday, I saw a program on the Starehe Boys School in Kenya. Since there's nothing about Kenya on HBC, I thought I'd sent this along. The Starehe Boys School in Nairobi is Kenya's most prestigious private boys secondary school, with an enrollment of 1,100 boys up to age 19. Over 15,000 applications for admission are received each year. Many boys from poorer families are able to attend on scholarships. All boys wear the school uniform of salmon color shirt, school tie and navy blue blazer, medium blue short pants, and grey kneesocks with striped tops. On warmer days, the boys doff their blazers and attend class in hortsleeves. The only exception made to the school uniform is for the "prefects", a few upperclassmen selected as student leaders, who are permitted to wear adult-style suits with long trousers."
Malwaian school uniforms show a strong British influence, at least in urban areas. Primary boys in state schools now mostly wear cotton drill bush shirt and shorts, in either grey or khaki. Colors are more varied at private schools Secondary boys also used to wear shorts, but long pants are now increasingly common.
HBC does not yet have detailed information on Moroccan school uniforms. We have acquited some images from European schools that existed in the country before independence. The school uniform styles reflect the clothing worn by conmtemporary European boys.
We do not know about education in the pre-colonial era. Namibia was orginally a German colony, Southwest Africa. Walvis Bay, the largest city and port, was a separate British colony. We have little informarion about schools in the German colony. The German colony after World War I was turned over to South Africa as amandate unfer the League of Nations. South Africa thus administered the colony as a result of World War I and after the War administered it as a League of Nations mandate territory. After World War II South African without international sanction occupied the country. The same Apartheid systen developed in South Africa was imposed on Namibis wih was not two different than the German system. Namibia achieved independence (1990). We have only limited information on the school system at this time. We do have information on a private school, the Windhoek Gymnasium.
Nigeria is the African country with the largest population. It is a former British colony. The country is divided between an Islamic north and Christian south. We have no informatuion, however, on Nigerian schools at this time. We believe that the British influence from the colonial era is more pronounced in the Christian south than the Islamic north.
Rwanda is a central African country. It was part of the Belgian colony of Ruwanda-Urundi which was situated east of the vast Belgian Congo. Much of the country is situated on a high plateau. It has a largely agricultural economy. There is also cattle raising and some mining. Belgium granted limited independence in 1961 and full independence was achieved in 1962. We have very limited information on the school system.
South Africa like many former British colonies (Australia and New Zealand) has had uniforms based on traditional English styles. A school uniform consisting of a blazer, school tie, and dress pants which has been worn by boys in many countries, especially
English-speaking countries. This uniform evolved in England during the late 19th century and spread to the English colonies which at the time spanned the globe. South Africa of course was one of those countries. South African schools, despite the widely different
climate tended to follow the British syles very closely until the 1960s when they begun to develop their own distinctive styles and standards. Schoolwear was of course affected by overall South African boys' clothing trends. South Africa has British style uniforms for the winter term. The elementary winter uniform often includes short pants and knee socks. Many schools have and a simple summer uniform of grey shirt and shorts for the summer.
A Swaziland teacher in 2009 tells us that he believes that required school uniforms are making school fees too costly for students. [Tfwala]
Tanzania is the union of Zanzibar and Tanganika. Zanzibar was an Arab emirate which for centuries was a key port in the Arab Indian Ocean slave trade. The emirs were pressured by the British during the 19th century end the Indian Ocean slave trade. Zanzibar became a British protectorate (1890), but Britain while suppressing the slave trade did not intervene substantially in domestic matters like education. Tanganika was a German colony sized by the British during World War I (1914-18). After riots on Zanzibar following independence (1963), the island was united with Tanzania (1964). The Arab emirs and the German colonial authorities gave little attention to education. The foundation for the modern Tanzanian education system is the schools set up during the British colonia era. The education system today. Two ministries share responsibility: 1) Ministry of Education and Culture and Higher Education and the the Ministry of Regional Administration and Local Government.
The Tanzanian school system includes the basic primary, secondary, and tertiary leves. The schools offer
2 years of pre-primary education, 7 years of primary education, 4 years of Junior Secondary (ordinary Level), 2 years of Senior Secondary (Advanced Level) and up to 3 or more years of Tertiary Education. There is also an adult education program. The main feature of Tanzania’s education system is the bilingual policy, which requires children to learn both Kiswahili and English.
The Government initiated an important educational reform program (1995) which is still in progress.
We have only limited information on Tunisia at this time. As is common for the Middle East and North Africa, we have been able to find some information about European colonial schools, but little information about Tunisian post-independence schools. We do not fully understand this dichotomy at this time. Tunisia was a French colony. One reader has mentioned the Menzel-Bourguiba school at Ferryville. We do not know much about the school, but the younger boys had a romper uniform.
Uganda is a former British colony in East Africa. At independence the country was relatively prosperous. That prosperity was shattered by Idi Amin's dictatorship and friving out the South Asians who plyed an important role in the Ugandan economy. The Ugandan economy has never recovered. The country today is racked by rural violence, especially that of the Lord's Resistance Army. These problems have impaired the country's ability to fund a public school system. The education system is set up on an English model, although we have little information at this time. Many schools have basic uniforms, odten including brightly colored shirts.
Zimbanwe is one of the former British colonies in southern Africa. It was formerly known as Southern Rhodesia. Like many of these countries, school uniform and dress trends show yhis British heritage. Elementary school children in Zimbabwe commonly wear uniforms. At one representative school in the 1990s the girls wore blue dresses with large Peter Pan collars and the boys wore khaki open collar shirts and short pants. We believe that this is also the case in secondary schools. We still have very limited information on the country. Zimbabwe's spiral into disorder and poverty in recent years has undoubtedly affected the ability of parents to afford school uniforms.
Tfwala, Zwelithini. E-mail message, March 19, 2009.
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Namibia
Nigeria
Rwanda
Senegal
Figure 2.--Here some South African students are participating in a sports evebt, I think in 2003.
South Africa
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Uganda
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Created: June 20, 1998
Last updated: 1:06 AM 11/9/2009
