Ugandan School where male students wear ‘skirts’.

Nyakasura mixed secondary school has attracted attention on social media after the management allowed male students to wear skirts as part of the uniform.Frank Manyindo, the Principal of Nyakasura Secondary school explained in a recent interview that the male students have grown accustomed to school wear and no longer see it as peculiar.
“Every student considers the kilt as a normal attire. The uniform collection includes; a kilt, belt, knee-socks, and a cuff known as a kilt hose. In addition, the boys wear a red cloth on their legs known as the leg warmers,” he said.

Manyindo says the decision for male students to do the attire is part of the institution’s culture and the school was started in 1926 by a Scottish missionary Lieutenant-Commander Ernest William Eborhard Calwell, who initially persuaded the Buganda Kingdom to follow Scottish culture.

The missionary however was welcomed in Nyakasura where he opened a school and influenced the people to practice Scottish culture.
“The attire builds confidence in boys and brings out strong leaders. It has a unique identity despite the mockery from the community,” the principal added.

He defended the uniform, saying it is not a skirt as many people claim, rather it’s a kilt a traditional attire worn by men in Scottish Highlands.Thus,being a mixed school many people claim they find it hard to differentiate between boys and girls when visiting the school for the first time.

The majority indicated that they are always insulted and criticized by students from other schools for wearing ‘girls’ uniform, but to them there is nothing wrong with the attire.

Article By Suzy Nyongesa.