Students going to secondary school for the first time in 2021 will be allowed to show up without their proper uniforms if they cannot buy them in time.

The Ministry of Education said on Dec. 29, 2020 that students will be allowed to report in their physical education attire or primary school uniforms instead.

This was after a uniform shop in Ang Mo Kio witnessed snaking queues of parents waiting to purchase new uniforms for their children, but were stymied, and the crowds neglected Covid-19 safety measures.

Police had to be called in to maintain crowd control and safe distancing.

Schools will work with vendors

In response to red hot demand causing bottlenecks as the year-end school holidays come to an end, MOE said students will be given more time in the first few weeks of January 2021 to buy school uniforms.

Schools reopen on Monday, Jan. 4.

Secondary 1 postings were only released on Dec. 22, effectively giving parents less than two weeks to ensure their children are clothed correctly.

Schools will work closely with their vendors to ensure that students can buy their uniforms as soon as possible, and facilitate the sale of uniforms in school, MOE said in a statement in response to media queries.

Vendors pushed to conduct sale of merchandise online

This year's unprecedented mad dash for uniforms is very likely also due to the ongoing pandemic and the reduction of venues for the sale of uniforms to take place.

MOE said schools were advised to make adjustments to their year-end school activities to safeguard the health of the school community due to Covid-19.

Schools were asked to work with vendors to provide home deliveries to parents who would be able to buy uniforms and books online.

Vendors could also allow parents to make appointments to buy uniforms in schools or at their own physical stores.

But coping with these new measures appeared tough for many of these merchants, as they sought to adapt to new ways of doing things.

The move to online sales saw long delivery times that would not make it for the new academic year.

"MOE and schools understand the challenges faced by parents and vendors," the ministry said.

However, one parent ST spoke to, said wearing the primary school uniform is not an ideal solution.

A 33-year-old mother was quoted as saying: "My son can't wear his primary school uniform for the first few days of Secondary 1 because he has outgrown it. He might feel embarrassed that he doesn't have a uniform when his friends have theirs."

Top photo via Ministry of Education