Schools could be forced to explain uniform price under new law

A new law aims to compel schools to explain to parents the reasons for the price of their school uniforms.

The new bill was introduced by the Education Minister Paul Givan in the assembly on Tuesday.

But it will have to be debated and scrutinised by assembly members before it becomes law.

A consultation carried out on the proposed new law attracted about 7,500 responses.

More than three-quarters of respondents were in favour of making school uniforms affordable by law. But there were concerns over whether a "cost cap" on uniforms would work.

Givan said the new bill provided "scope" for a price cap to be introduced, but that more work needed to be done on it.

"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," he said in a statement.

Schools are already given guidance by the Department of Education (DE) that uniforms should "represent value for money for families".

The existing guidance also advises schools "to keep costs to a minimum and ensure that items are available 'off the peg' from a number of retail outlets".

But the new School Uniforms (Guidelines and Allowances) Bill will make it compulsory for schools to follow that guidance by law.

Givan said that once the new legislation was in place "it will remain a matter for schools to determine whether to have a uniform and, if so, what that uniform will be".

"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," his statement continued.

"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."

The minister said the new law would reduce the costs of school uniforms.

But parents and others who responded to the department's consultation on it had called for a wide range of measures to be introduced to lower the cost of uniforms.

People who responded said branding and logos on school uniforms were a particular problem.

Some said having to buy a branded uniform, or one with a school logo, made uniforms more expensive.

There was also some opposition to schools requiring pupils to wear PE kit made by a particular brand.

Though some respondents said branded uniforms were "often better quality and harder wearing".

Some questioned whether school uniforms were needed at all, calling them "outdated and unnecessary" and "out of touch with modern society".

Other respondents said that girls should have the option to wear trousers and "should not be forced to wear skirts".

Following its introduction on Tuesday, the proposed new law is expected to be debated by MLAs in the assembly in March.