New Stormont Bill aims to make school uniforms more affordable

A new Stormont Bill is aiming to make school uniforms more affordable.

The Bill, which was introduced at the Northern Ireland Assembly by Education Minister Paul Givan, also includes scope for a potential uniform price cap to be set in future.

It is expected to have its second stage in the Assembly next month which will see MLAs debate the Bill before being scrutinised by the Stormont Education Committee in the third stage of the legislative process.

Mr Givan described the introduction of the School Uniforms (Guidelines and Allowances) Bill as a “major step forward for parents and guardians across Northern Ireland”.

“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,” he said in a statement.

The Bill is set to make it 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.

It also opens access to the clothing allowance administered by the Education Authority to pupils in independent schools.

Mr Givan said once the new legislation is in place, it will remain for schools to determine whether to have a uniform and what that uniform should 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,” he said.

“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 also said the Bill provides a “scope” for a price cap on uniforms to be introduced.

“However, more work is to be carried out in relation to this,” he added.

“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.”