A new bill aimed at reducing the costs of school uniforms focuses on introducing more transparency around the prices and suppliers.
The bill as introduced by Education Minister Paul Givan in the Assembly on Tuesday does not include any explicit provisions on caps, although there is scope for these to be introduced in the future.
Approximately 7,500 responses were received during the public consultation ahead of the School Uniforms (Guidelines and Allowances) Bill.
Mr Givan, who wants the bill’s powers to reduce the costs of unforms, described the legislation as “a major step forward for parents and guardians”.
Under the legislation, it will be “a legal requirement for the Department of Education to make guidelines for schools, and for schools to follow those guidelines, addressing unfair costs aspects regarding their uniform requirements”.
“Schools will have to consult with parents and pupils, and then publish the rationale and cost of their uniforms, as well as the range of suppliers it can be bought from,” Mr Givan said.
It will also allow parents or guardians of pupils in independent schools to apply for a clothing allowance managed by the Education Authority.
Mr Givan added: “The Bill provides scope for a cap to be introduced however, more work is to be carried out in relation to this.
“The cap could be in relation to numbers of branded items, such as PE kits, or in relation to the cost of an individual item or the overall uniform requirements.”
Once the legislation is enacted, it “will remain a matter for schools to determine whether to have a uniform and, if so, what that uniform will be”, the minister said.
“What the legislation will do is work in tandem with strengthened, statutory guidance to ensure that affordability is transparent and at the centre of school uniform policies.”
He said the bill attempts “to strike a balance between recognising the role that school uniforms play in the ethos of our schools and ensuring that school uniforms are affordable for all”.
The minister added: “I have listened to the concerns of parents, young people and children, and at a time of growing pressures on family budgets, I am extremely concerned that families are finding the cost of a school uniform a significant outlay, and that in some cases it deters them from applying for a particular school.
“This bill will now move through the legislative process and be scrutinised by Assembly colleagues, but I hope it gives parents the reassurance that we are working to deliver change.”
