THE founder of a charity in Andersonstown says new act on school uniform costs "falls short" of what families were promised.
The School Uniforms (Guidelines and Allowances) Act (Northern Ireland) 2026 came into effect this week. It means that families across the North will pay less for school uniforms as new statutory guidelines come into force.
The School Uniforms Guidelines, which have now been issued to schools means that school uniform policies for the 2026/27 school year must follow all the requirements set out in the guidelines.
Paul Doherty, founder of Foodstock charity, who also runs a re-usable school uniform scheme said the legislation does not go "far enough".
"Any move to reduce the cost of school uniforms is welcome – but this legislation still falls far short of what families were promised," he said.
"Parents were led to believe this would meaningfully tackle the cost of uniforms. In reality, what has been delivered are guidelines that rely too heavily on goodwill and do not go far enough to protect families who are already under serious financial pressure.
"On the ground, nothing has changed. Uniforms, PE kits, footwear and branded items are still pushing costs into the hundreds of pounds for many families. For households with more than one child, this remains an impossible burden.
"I see the impact every day through our pre-loved uniform scheme at Foodstock. Demand is rising, not falling. That tells you everything about whether current measures are working.
"Families don’t need warm words or partial fixes. They need enforceable action that genuinely reduces costs and lifts pressure off household budgets.
"The Minister had an opportunity to deliver that and hasn’t gone far enough."
Education Minister Paul Givan said: “The aim of this Act is to ensure that school governing bodies put affordability, comfort, practicality and sustainability at the centre of their decision-making when they set their school uniform requirements.
“The cost of a school uniform should not be a significant burden for parents, nor should it deter them from applying for a particular school for their child. This Act has the power to make those principles a reality.”
