02.09.16
Are school uniforms too expensive?
As children around the country prepare to go back to school, the LGA has urged schools to do more to make it easier for parents to buy school uniforms.
Cllr Richard Watts, chair of the LGA’s children and young people board, said: “Wearing school uniform can help children to feel part of a community and instils a sense of pride in their school. It’s also practical, and avoids children being singled out for what they’re wearing.
“However, every year we hear of some schools insisting that parents buy a wide range of compulsory items, from branded blazers to specific socks. This can push the overall cost of a uniform and PE kit into hundreds of pounds, and for many families, that is simply too much. People should never be in a position where they are worried about applying to the best school for their child because they’re worried about the cost of the uniform.”
He said that schools should adopt a “common-sense approach” to uniform, including choosing uniform items that are widely available on the high street, giving parents school crest badges to sew on, and allowing pupils to use one plain sports kit for all sports.
In addition, Cllr Watts said schools should use a range of suppliers to avoid one company having a monopoly on uniforms, and parents should be able to complain to schools if they thought the uniforms were too expensive.
He also said that pupils should not be forced to buy uniforms when schools become academies.
The government is seeking to establish new powers to turn the worst-performing schools into academies in the Education for All Bill, which is opposed by councils.
With low-income families facing increasing pressure due to the rising cost of living and cuts to benefits, it is important that the public sector helps reduce the burden on families over important expenses such as school uniforms.
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