Free uniforms for first-year students in Skopje's secondary schools: the idea is good, but the city won't say what they cost

The first delivery of free uniforms from the City of Skopje has arrived at the "Rade Jovčevski - Korčagin" secondary school. The uniforms are one hundred percent cotton, and according to Mayor Orce Gjorgjievski, this is the start of a measure under which every first-year student in the City of Skopje's secondary schools will get a uniform.

The reasoning is nice and hard to argue with. "No student should feel worth less because of their family's financial situation," Gjorgjievski said, adding that uniforms ease the family budget and reduce visible social differences, mockery and bullying over clothes. Any parent who has ever bought trainers for a teenager knows exactly what he means.

The mayor tied the measure to his campaign promise and to a list of investments so far: computer labs, smart boards, new desks and chairs, sports fields and fitness zones. "We are building Skopje's future today, with every promise kept," he said.

What it costs and who's sewing them

The city's press releases don't say a word about the two most important figures - how much the measure costs and how many students will get a uniform. According to figures that appeared in the media, the tender is worth around 23.36 million denars, and the chosen supplier is the company "Bojan Promet", which also made the uniforms for primary school pupils in Kisela Voda while Gjorgjievski was mayor of that municipality.

On its own, that means nothing bad - a company can win a tender twice because it's the best. But that's exactly why the city should publish the figures itself: how many bids there were, what one uniform costs and how many students will wear it. If the measure is good, transparency will only make it stronger.

A uniform can make students equal in the classroom. Public money is only protected by the public - when anyone can see how much was paid and for what.