Executive must focus on delivering lower school uniform costs

A WEST Belfast councillor says the Executive must deliver lower school uniform costs.

SDLP councillor Paul Doherty was speaking after the Assembly voted to expedite Education Minister Paul Givan’s School Uniforms Bill on Monday.

Councillor Doherty runs a secondhand school uniform scheme at his community solidarity hub Foodstock.

“It’s crucial that parents get school uniform support as soon as possible, but we need to ensure that the legislation being brought through the Assembly meaningfully lowers costs for parents," he said.

"As it stands there are serious concerns that this bill simply tinkers around the edges of the problem and I will be working with SDLP colleagues to ensure that robust amendments are brought forward.

“Parents have been waiting years for the Executive to act on this issue and they have to get it right. Every year our school uniform scheme at Foodstock is inundated with people from right across Belfast and further afield who are struggling to afford school uniforms for their children. For families with multiple children these costs can run to hundreds and hundreds of pounds and with the difficult times we are living in many simply can’t afford it.

“Uniform support is not simply about lowering costs for parents, it’s about providing dignity. No parent should have to lie awake at night wondering how they are going to afford a uniform for their child.

“This support won’t be in place until the 2026/27 school year at the earliest which means many parents in my community are facing another difficult summer of worry. That should focus the minds of the Minister and the rest of the Executive who need to ensure that this bill delivers more than the illusion of action and makes school uniforms affordable for all.”