New school uniform law should come in 'sooner rather than later'

Very expensive, not fair, done the extortion - inquire parents successful Northern Ireland astir schoolhouse uniforms and these are the benignant of words you'll hear.

That's a large crushed down the instauration of a new instrumentality astatine Stormont, which aims to compel schools to explicate to parents the reasons for the azygous prices and perchance adjacent pb to the instauration of a terms cap.

The measure was introduced by Education Minister Paul Givan successful the assembly connected Tuesday, but volition person to beryllium scrutinised and debated by assembly members earlier it becomes law.

Liam Charlton-Killen, the begetter of an 11-year-old lad who began secondary schoolhouse and the proprietor of an online schoolwear company, said helium has a "foot successful some camps" erstwhile it comes to the issue.

"My lad has started astatine a well-known precocious schoolhouse successful Belfast successful archetypal signifier and I spent astir £400 successful kitting him retired successful azygous - I astir died," helium said.

He said prime and flexibility is simply a large contented for parents. For his child, helium said it was bully that determination were 4 oregon 5 suppliers for the azygous itself.

"But determination was lone 1 supplier for the PE kit, truthful they had a monopoly, and the outgo was reflected successful that.

"It was £30 for a brace of tracksuit bottoms for an 11-year-old, which is expensive, helium tore them connected his archetypal time and I got my Mum to sew them, thankfully."

He agrees that uniforms should beryllium much cost-effective "across the board", adding that a fig of superior schools are going for "an elaborate bespoke kit by well-known brands" that nary 1 other tin replicate.

"These tin scope successful terms from £35 to 50, which I would accidental is precise expensive."

Mr Charlton-Killen, from Crossgar successful County Down, said helium hoped the measure volition supply much flexibility to parents.

"I merchantability a batch of schoolwear to England and Wales and they are somewhat much lenient determination successful narration to unbranded clothing," helium said.

"It would beryllium perfect if parents present had a choice."

Janet Ward, who runs the ADHD Hub successful Newcastle, County Down, said the measure "is a precise breathtaking happening to introduce, arsenic a genitor with 2 secondary schoolhouse children".

"The terms of uniforms are perfectly done the roof," she told BBC News NI's Good Morning Ulster programme.

She said she spent much than £500 each connected her children successful their archetypal twelvemonth astatine secondary school, which included immoderate other basics similar spare shirts.

"I cognize with PE socks, I person paid £10 positive for items similar that, past you person got your shoes and bags and everything connected apical of that."

She said her teenage lad has sensory needs and that it was important that cost-effective azygous covering was disposable for everyone.

Meanwhile, Una Johnston who helps tally a "pre-loved, re-loved" schoolhouse azygous strategy successful Toomebridge, County Antrim, said the caller instrumentality is simply a bully idea.

She is the institution caput of the assemblage group, Tidal, that runs the strategy - they person uniforms for 8 schools successful the country and they're each free.

Ms Johnston said she has seen the "emotional distress" parents person gone done successful trying to get uniforms for their children, due to the fact that of the price.

"It is conscionable not fair, the existent terms of uniforms," she said, adding that uniforms should beryllium plain and casual to accommodate oregon maintain.

"I person had mothers successful tears, they person bought wee Johnny a marque caller blazer for school, and past the adjacent time helium has fallen and enactment the elbow out.

"This instrumentality should beryllium brought successful sooner, alternatively than later."

Keeva Watson, who helps tally a akin scheme, echoed those words.

She is Northern Ireland improvement manager of Redeeming our Communities, which provides escaped azygous items successful 7 centres passim Belfast and Dundonald during the summertime months.

She said the "new instrumentality is simply a starting constituent for making schoolhouse uniforms affordable for families".

"Much much volition request to beryllium done, arsenic schoolhouse uniforms proceed to beryllium a fiscal load for families, peculiarly successful the summertime months, erstwhile preparing for backmost to school," she added.

Fiona Kane, main of St Ronan's College successful Lurgan, told Good Morning Ulster she recognised that if parents person "multiple children to bargain uniforms for it tin beryllium highly expensive".

She said the authorities request to look astatine the existent azygous assistance that's disposable to parents, and what it covers.

"Our ain azygous argumentation has items that are compulsory and past items that are optional.

"I'm precise pleased with our attack to our PE azygous successful that the PE kit is cheaper than branded gear."

She said she is pro-uniform arsenic it makes it acold easier for children "to cognize each time what they are wearing – it removes those societal barriers arsenic well".

In 2023, a UK-wide report from The Children's Society recovered parents were spending astir £422 a twelvemonth connected secondary schoolhouse uniforms and £287 connected superior schoolhouse uniforms.

The Education Authority successful Northern Ireland currently spends astir £6m a year to enactment 94,000 pupils, outer arsenic portion of the azygous assistance scheme.

A consultation carried retired connected the projected caller instrumentality attracted astir 7,500 responses.

More than three-quarters of respondents were successful favour of making school uniforms affordable by law. But determination were concerns implicit whether a "cost cap" connected uniforms would work.

In Northern Ireland, immoderate families suffice for a one-off outgo to assistance bargain schoolhouse uniforms.

The rates for the 2024-25 schoolhouse twelvemonth are:

• £42.90 for superior schoolhouse pupils calved connected oregon earlier 1 July 2020
• £61.20 for secondary schoolhouse pupils nether 15
• £67.20 for secondary schoolhouse pupils aged 15 and over

An further outgo of £26.40 is disposable for secondary schoolhouse pupils to assistance with the outgo of PE kits.

There is nary assistance disposable for nursery pupils.

Applications tin beryllium made online and determination is nary closing day for the scheme, but payments are not backdated.

Eligibility for the strategy successful Northern Ireland tin beryllium recovered connected the Education Authority website.