Debate contribution: School Uniforms (Guidelines and Allowances) Bill: Second Stage

Debate contribution by Ms Cara Hunter on 3 March 2025.

MLA

Ms Cara Hunter

Party at the time

Social Democratic and Labour Party

Date

3 March 2025

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Executive Committee Business

Heading

School Uniforms (Guidelines and Allowances) Bill: Second Stage

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4826465

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I welcome today's debate. The SDLP will support the School Uniforms (Guidelines and Allowances) Bill at its Second Stage. Any discussion on potential capping of school uniform costs is most welcome. School uniforms are meant to promote equality, discipline and school identity: in reality, their high costs create barriers for families across all our communities. A staggering 94% of parents believe that current uniform prices are unreasonable. The average cost of a uniform, including PE kit, stands at £378 for a post-primary-school child and £173 for a primary-school child. Those costs, we can all agree, are ridiculous and act as a barrier to education. Even more concerning, a 2020 report from the Irish League of Credit Unions (ILCU) found that one third of parents fell into debt just to afford a school uniform. The financial burden is growing year-on-year, yet the uniform grant provided is the smallest across these islands. Northern Ireland lags far behind and offers only £73 for children under 15 and £78 for those over 15. We can do much better, so I welcome today's discussion about a uniform cap. Branded items, such as blazers and embroidered sports kits, add to the burden and inflate the cost by up to 50%. Schools that require parents to buy from exclusive suppliers often make matters worse, as those retailers can charge up to 150% more than regular supermarkets. There is a need for reform. We must ask ourselves this: should any child should be excluded from school or sent home simply because their family cannot afford a school uniform? Of course not. The Children's Society estimates that half a million children across these islands have been sent home due to inappropriate school uniforms that are seen as policy violations. That undermines the very purpose of school uniforms, which is to create an equal playing field for students across these islands. Furthermore, the rigid nature of school uniforms can disadvantage certain groups of young people, particularly young girls. Often, rigid school uniforms do not allow trousers to be worn. It needs to be mentioned that a more modern, flexible approach that allows the wearing of comfortable, practical clothing, such as leggings or trousers, would be helpful and would put young women at ease. I would like the Minister to emphasise the importance of schools having recycling schemes, which my SDLP colleague and councillor Paul Doherty does very well in west Belfast, to support parents with the rising cost of school uniforms. As for the impact on communities, between June and September last year, that scheme kitted out over 800 children before the new term. That is just one area, and it shows the demand and pressure that parents are under. Sadly, the cost of school uniforms has been an issue for years. We see recycling initiatives in some schools, and I would like them to be broadened out. It should be emphasised that those initiatives are so valuable, as well as being good for our environment. If an increasing number of families struggle to put food on the table and heat their home, where will they find the extra £90 for a school blazer or £100 for a PE kit that will likely be worn only once a week? Schools have told us that some parents are not sending their children to school at the start of term simply because they cannot afford a school uniform. Essentially, that is a failure by us, and we can do more, which is why I am glad that we are debating the issue today. It is time to make school uniforms more affordable, practical and inclusive. Today's discussion is a strong step in the right direction. We need to implement a fairer system. Our schools must be required to regularly review the cost of uniforms and look at the tendering process for suppliers. It is on each of us to promote second-hand uniform sales, whether that is through school initiatives, parent groups or charity shops. Uniforms should foster pride, discipline and a sense of belonging but not at the price of the financial hardship that is often faced by parents. We need change. By making school uniforms more affordable, inclusive and practical, we can ensure that no child is unfairly disadvantaged. I welcome the fact that we are working together. The SDLP will support the Bill at Second Stage so that, when it comes to school uniforms, we ensure fairness and allow for choice and, most important, affordability.

745 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 12:07 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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