Party leaders unite in campaign to end "sky-high uniform costs"

The three party leaders on Rochdale Council have joined together to call on schools to cut the cost of student uniforms.

Councillors Allen Brett (Labour), Ashley Dearnley (Conservative) and Andy Kelly (Lib Dem) have penned a letter to Rochdale's secondary school heads, asking them to take immediate steps to make their school uniform more affordable.

The party leaders told heads that the most common complaint they receive from parents is the cost of the school blazer. In most cases it can only be purchased from specialist school suppliers, costing between £25 and £40, whereas a similar product can be bought from high street stores, supermarkets and discount shops from as little as £10.

Councillor Brett said: "I receive lots of complaints at this time every year from worried parents. But it's schools which set uniform policy and it must change. Many parents have lost their job or their income has been drastically reduced because of the Coronavirus crisis and the sky-high cost of uniforms is unacceptable.

Councillor Dearnley said: "We are requesting heads and school governing bodies to consider changing their school uniform policies. Opening up the market will give the widest possible choice for parents and that will bring prices tumbling down. The overwhelming majority of parents agree with school uniforms."

Councillor Kelly said: "It's even more important that schools do everything they can to reduce the cost. Many parents are simply unable to afford branded uniforms. A survey by the Children's Society found nearly a quarter had had to send their children to school in ill-fitting, unclean or incorrect uniform."

The letter is part of a growing local campaign by the council's deputy finance officer, Councillor Faisal Rana, who says some parents are going without food to pay for their children's uniforms. He wants parents to be able to buy schoolwear, particularly blazers, from any retailer.

Councillor Rana said: "Hard-up parents are going without food or heating to pay for their kids’ uniforms. A report by the Poverty Commission found nearly one in six families say school uniform costs are to blame for them having to cut back on food and other basic essentials. 

"What's worse is that because of austerity cuts, almost all councils have stopped giving out uniform grants to the poorest families. It's time the government acted on its promise five years ago to cut the price of school uniforms.”

Government guidance says governing bodies should give highest priority to the consideration of cost and value for money for parents: “The school uniform should be easily available for parents to purchase and schools should seek to select items that can be purchased cheaply, for example in a supermarket or other good value shop.”

The guidance also says schools should keep compulsory branded items to a minimum and avoid specifying expensive items of uniform, such as outdoor coats.

A bill about the costs of school uniform is currently in the stages of being heard of the House of Commons, and has been sent to a public bill committee.

Research has revealed that in 2019, parents in the North West threw away over 150,000 school uniforms – despite being in good condition – with nearly half of parents preferring to throw a garment away than try to repair it.

The study also showed that the majority of parents always buy their children’s school uniform new, saying they didn’t buy pre-loved garments because 'they didn’t like the thought of their children wearing previously owned clothing', 'it is easier to buy new' and 'wanting their children to have the latest things'.

Those who said they were happy for their children to wear pre-owned clothes said they would prefer garments to be handed down from older siblings, with more than a fifth of parents holding on to outgrown items.

In 2015, The Children’s Commission on Poverty, supported by the Children’s Society, published 'The Wrong Blazer: Time for action on school uniform costs', a report that highlighted concerns about uniform cost as well recommending that the government should explore a school uniform cost cap.

The report added that one of the key reasons for the high costs are school uniform policies that “make parents buy specific items of clothing and accessories from specialist shops” – rather than allowing them to buyer cheaper clothes from supermarkets and sew on a badge or logo later.

As part of the campaign, Councillor Rana has launched an online petition which has already received hundreds of signatures. You can sign the petition at:

• www.change.org/enduniformrip-off