Abstract:
The study focused on the role of members of the School Management Team (SMT) regarding
the manner in which they implement the policy on mandatory school uniform in Swaziland
schools.
The main question guiding the study was:
To what extent is the learners’ right to human dignity protected when teachers enforce
the wearing of compulsory school uniforms in Swaziland schools?
A qualitative case study approach was employed with empirical data collected using
interviews with the SMT members of three schools in the Manzini and Lubombo regions of
the Kingdom of Swaziland, as well as an analysis of each of the school official documents.
The interviews and the analysis of the documents were aimed at determining the
compliance of each school‘s strategy with the Constitution of the Kingdom of Swaziland, and
all international conventions regarding the protection of children’s right to human dignity in
schools.
Data was analysed in accordance with acceptable procedures for processing the
qualitative data. The researcher’s conclusion based on the data gathered and from the body of
literature consulted, presented evidence that suggests that the rights of learners to human
dignity is not well-protected in the three schools that participated in the study. Poor
learners continue to suffer the humiliation of being undressed of clothing such as jerseys that
they wear to school because it is not the prescribed school uniform and is unacceptable. Some
suffer corporal punishment because their parents cannot afford to buy them the full prescribed
school uniform. Poverty remains a serious challenge to implementing the mandatory school
uniform policy.
