SDLP West Belfast councillor Paul Doherty has said a new School Uniforms Bill must deliver real change for families.
It comes after Education Minister Paul Givan announced he intended to bring forward legislation with Executive support on Thursday. Once in law, the new School Uniforms Bill will require schools to place affordability at the centre of their policies.
Councillor Doherty operates a school uniform scheme at his community solidarity hub Foodstock on the Andersonstown Road.
“It is welcome that the eye-watering costs of school uniforms and the strain this causes for many families in our city and across the North is finally getting the attention it deserves," he said. "However, we must make sure that any legislation brought forward actually deals with the issue at hand - the unaffordable nature of school uniforms for many families.
“The cost of a uniform should never be a barrier to any child’s education, and I've seen first hand the hardship and stress brought upon parents and families every year as a result of these costs. By September this year close to 900 children were kitted out at our pre-loved uniform hub at Foodstock.
“Tinkering around the edges of this problem won’t please anybody, certainly not parents or schools. I am concerned by the Minister’s talk of ‘guidance’ and the indication that much of these policies will still be left in the hands of individual schools. That will provide little comfort to the parents I deal with on a regular basis who are left lying awake at night worried about how they are going to afford a uniform for their child.
“This legislation provides us with a real opportunity to address this issue, but it’s important we get it right. I will be using my years of experience dealing with this issue, parents and schools to work with my SDLP colleagues in the Assembly to ensure that this legislation reflects the experience of parents who have been in this position and helps schools to deliver affordable uniforms for all."
