The bold move by Masinde Muliro University to ban students from wearing miniskirts, rugged jeans and other ‘indecent wear’ should be a wake up call for all our higher learning institutions to control dress codes.
According to the Kakamega-based institution’s Dean of Students Dr Bernardatte Abwao, increasing cases of indecent dressing by some of the learners is a reason to worry.
Dr Abwao said those wearing miniskirts, skin-tight trousers, ragged/torn or ripped jeans, and low-cut blouses and dresses will not be allowed entry into the institution, also cautioning ladies against putting on micro-shorts, transparent dresses, and attires that show bra straps as well as sleeveless T-shirts.
The male students have also been banned from wearing sagging trousers and clothing that reveal their chest.
With higher education getting enriched with cultural and scientific assets which bring about personal development and economic, technological and social change, there is need to equip students with behavioural skills needed to interact with the outside world. After all, they are role models as well as custodians and stewards of African moral and behavioural codes.
University education places a strong emphasis on developing science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education, which is indispensable to sustainable development and innovation. It aims to strengthen skills development for youth and adults to meet individual, labour market and societal demands.
And yet these will be meaningless if moral codes are not instilled to set standards of morality and decency. From a Christian perspective, women are warned not wear a man’s attire, nor shall a man put on a woman’s cloak, as these things are an abomination to the Lord.
Women are advised to adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire. Even the Muslim faith forbids ‘revealing’ and ‘provocative’ clothes.
Indecent dressing was uncommon in the African set up, but we have been drawn to foreign culture that today, it is progressively becoming the norm. It’s high time to rethink dressing code.
The universities that have stipulated a dress code know the dangers posed by suggestive dress, including poor academic performance and prostitution, reduced output of male lecturers, distraction, absence of focus, sexual harassment, cultism, and loss of integrity.
It is high time the education ministry, county governments, all public and private universities and other sector stakeholders set guidelines on decency in our universities and colleges.
Yabesh Onwonga, Nairobi
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