Video: Headteacher explains why he wears the same uniform as students

Alex maina Kariuki dismissed claims that he may be demeaning himself by looking like and mingling with students on campus.

Headteacher and principal of Friends School Kamusinga, a Kenyan Quakers National High School located in Kimilili, Bungoma County has made headlines with his choice to wear the same uniform as his students.

Some decades ago, it was considered disrespectful in some African schools for a student to dress better than teachers, and some students got their shoes seized.

Even, till now, teachers and headteachers of certain schools would want to dress in a way that differentiates between them and their students.

However, Alex maina Kariuki has chosen to be different.

When the BBC asked him his motivation for wearing the same uniform as his students, Alex maina Kariuki said he does so in order to “identify myself with the students, to demystify the rank of a principal, to check the quality of uniform my students are putting on, and also, it reminds me of the days when I was a student.”

 

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He dismissed claims that he may be demeaning himself by looking like and mingling with students on campus.

“Oh my, I feel so comfortable, I don’t feel uneasy at all,” Alex maina Kariuki said.

Inasmuch as Mr. Kariuki’s practice might be weird, it obviously has created a high level of companionship between him and the students, making campus an interesting place to be as well as a congenial atmosphere for learning.

He advised other teachers to emulate his style to identify with their students and create a good rapport with them.