Manama: Boys attending government middle and high schools in Bahrain will have to wear a uniform starting next year, an education ministry official has said.
The decision will mark a major shift in the policy that has been applied until this year only in girls' elementary, middle and high schools and in boys' elementary schools.
"The uniform will eliminate the obvious differences between students and will also kill the competition between them which puts heavy strain on their parents' finances," Widad Al Mousawi, the assistant undersecretary for private and continuous education, said.
"The uniform will also boost the sense of discipline and will eventually help forge a stronger and more tolerant character among students," she said.
Most private schools in Bahrain require their students to wear specific uniforms.
According to Widad, around 70 per cent of the parents the ministry consulted about introducing uniforms said that they supported the idea and wanted it implemented.
"The ministry will provide free uniforms to students from poor and needy families in order to assist them with this new requirement," she said.
