Bridget Philipson, the Shadow Education Secretary, said Labour would “at a stroke” change rules to limit to three the number of items of branded uniform and PE kit parents are forced to buy
Labour has pledged to slash the cost of rip-off school uniforms, saving parents hundreds of pounds.
Bridget Philipson, the Shadow Education Secretary, said Labour would “at a stroke” change rules to limit to three the number of items of branded uniform and PE kit parents are forced to buy. The party’s new research shows the cost of school uniform has risen 30% in the last three years, more than the 13% rise in the overall cost of clothing.
Under current guidance, many parents have to buy multiple branded items such as skirts, blouses, polo shirts, trousers, jumpers and ties. This newspaper has campaigned for the cost of uniforms to be cut – leading to guidance being introduced last year to make schools “reduce” the number of branded items.
A new law introduced by Labour MP Mike Amesbury, forced schools to review their uniform policies to see how they can be made more cost-effective by keeping branded items “to a minimum”. But research from the Children’s Society showed that the cost of uniforms was still high, as parents were found to have spent on average £422 a year on secondary and £287 on primary uniforms, driven by the cost of branded items.