Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to assess the constructional quality
offree school uniforms supplied by Government of Ghana to basic school
pupils. The study was a descriptive survey carried out at the West Akyem
Municipal Assembly. The population studied comprisedFree School Uniform
(FSU)beneficiaries for the 2013/2014 academic year. Purposive and
disproportionate stratified sampling techniques were utilized to select 419
respondents which comprised of manufacturers, headteachers/teachers, parents
and pupils. Two Quality control personnel were contacted to assess the
constructional details of the free school uniforms sewed. Data was collected
using questionnaireand observation guide.
The instrumentfor the parents, teachers and pupils yielded aCronbach
alpha coefficient of 92.95 and 73 respectively. Data collected was tabulated,
interpreted and discussed using descriptive statistics. This involved the use of
frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations. Though the
manufacturersrated themselves as excellent, the assessors rated the
construction quality of the FSU as unsatisfactory because their constructional
processes did not meet international quality standards. The study recommends
that government of Ghana in collaboration with well established apparel
producers come out with effective sizing system for manufacturers to use to
produce quality constructed and well fitting school uniforms.
