Sara Duterte: Uniforms in public schools not required

Students in public schools will not be required to wear uniforms for school year 2022 to 2023, Vice President Sara Duterte said on Monday.

The education secretary said the move was meant to ease the burden of students and families in the wake of rising prices and lost livelihood due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Even before the pandemic, it is not a strict requirement for public schools to wear uniforms (DepEd Order No. 065, s. 2010) to avoid incurring additional costs to the families of our learners," Duterte said in a statement.

"All the more that it will not be required this school year given the increasing prices and economic losses due to the pandemic," she added.

The start of school year 2022–2023 will be on August 22. 

Dated May 19, 2010, DO 65, S. 2010 states that "the wearing of a school uniform shall not be required in public schools. Students with existing uniforms may continue using these uniforms, if they so desire, in order to avoid incurring additional costs for new attire."

Duterte has said the combined in-person classes and distance learning would be implemented from August to October, while the five-day face-to-face classes would start in November. —NB, GMA News