MLAs clash with officials over Bill to make school uniforms more affordable

By Rebecca Black (PA)

MLAs have clashed with Department of Education officials over whether a new Bill will make school uniforms more affordable.

The School Uniforms (Guidelines and Allowances) Bill was introduced at the Northern Ireland Assembly by Education Minister Paul Givan and aimed at affordability.

MLAs at the Stormont Education Committee also pressed officials to include a right for girls to wear trousers as part of their school uniform in the Bill.

Margaret Rose McNaughton from the department outlined work that had been undertaken on the 16 guidelines which schools will be asked to follow when the Bill becomes law.

She said any price cap will be consulted on, and designed to be agile and effective.

She said Mr Givan introduced the Bill to address the affordability of school uniforms, adding they are “looking forward to seeing the positive impact the guidance will have for families who are struggling with the cost of school uniform requirements”.

It is intended to be in place by September 2026.

Committee chairman Nick Mathison expressed his concern around what will be considered affordable, and whether that will be enforced.

Ms McNaughton said, excluding shoes, you can get a total boy’s uniform for £90 and a girl’s uniform for £93 from a well-known high street shop.

She described that price as “being at the higher end of high street stores”, adding that with shoes it would cost around £140-150.

She also suggested that a plain blazer without a school crest on it costs £35.

Sinn Fein MLA Danny Baker said from his research in his constituency in West Belfast, there were no blazers that cost £35, saying he found they averaged from £80 to £145.

“We’ve heard some schools in Belfast are charging for blazers well in excess of £200, some uniforms going as high as £800, but the bog standard average all in, for PE kits, was coming in at around £300-£400, excluding lots of children from all aspects of education,” he said.

“This time next year, we will have no guarantees that the cost of uniform will be anything near affordable,” he said, and questioned what is considered affordable.

“Just to use my daughter as an example, I paid close to £300 this year, should I be paying £100 then?”

Ms McNaughton responded saying schools are going to have to show that they have met guideline one, that their uniforms are affordable for families on the lowest income.

Students read in the library at Royal High School Bath (Ben Birchall/PA)