School uniforms compulsory for primary pupils: non-compliant parents face sanctions , warns Education Minister

“School uniforms will be mandatory for primary school pupils, establishing a standard across all public schools. Should parents protest and refuse to dress their children in the required attire, specific measures, both educational and administrative, will be triggered to address breaches of school regulations,” Minister of Education, Science, and Youth Givi Mikanadze announced.

“We always gauge public sentiment. To that end, four months ago I launched the Minister Meets Parents initiative, visiting 26 municipalities and engaging with more than 10,000 parents in total. Throughout these meetings, not a single parent expressed disapproval over introducing uniforms. On the contrary, they welcomed the move.

Nevertheless, there remains a small contingent within society who, for reasons entirely beyond my comprehension, declare that they will not dress their children in uniform. I suspect this may be part of a targeted campaign. When talking about school uniforms, a parent says, ‘I won’t dress them in it, and let’s just see how they dare deny my child entry to school’—what is the critical factor here?

First and foremost, the parent is unequivocally using their child as a tool of manipulation. We must remember that we are talking about primary school pupils; these children do not yet fully grasp the situation, and naturally, parental authority comes into play.

I would also remind parents that upon enrolling their child in school, they sign and agree to abide by the internal regulations established within the institution. These rules explicitly stipulate that wearing a uniform is compulsory. Previously, adherence to uniforms was voluntary; however, starting from the new academic year, it becomes strictly mandatory for all primary grade pupils across every public school. Should a parent still choose to protest and refuse to put their child in uniform, clear educational and enforcement mechanisms will come into effect to deal with non-compliance,” the Minister said.

Mikanadze added that every parent must internalise a sense of duty: first to their own child, and subsequently to society as a whole.

“Every single step taken under the current reform is aimed squarely at safeguarding the best interests of the child. We are doing everything within our power to remain relentlessly focused on nurturing future generations,” stated the Minister.