There are calls for New Zealand to follow England’s footsteps and make uniforms cheaper in a bid to remove a barrier preventing some children from attending school.
The British government is planning to reduce the number of compulsory branded items its four million students must own and wear to three branded pieces, and a tie for secondary students. The change will save families an estimated 50 pounds (NZ$112.80) per student.
Now, there are calls for similar policies to be adopted here.
Variety Children’s Charity’s Susan Glasgow said limiting branded clothes students much wear “would alleviate so much pressure on families who are doing it really, really tough at the moment”.
One school alleviating uniform expenses for whānau is Te Kōmanawa Rowley School in Christchurch.
The primary school has given all of their students a free uniform after principal Graeme Norman found an anonymous donor.
“They supplied me with the money to supply the uniform and saw the benefit it was giving our whānau,” principal Graeme Norman told 1News.
The school is also keeping costs down with limited branding and insignia.
“We’ve gone to a supplier that is able to supply quality but at a reasonable price.”
Norman said one of the barriers to attendance is uniform “because some parents don’t want to send their children if they haven’t got uniform”.
Schools in New Zealand are self-governing, meaning it’s up to each board to decide what uniform is required.
The Ministry of Education said schools should always consult with the community before making any uniform decisions, adding that some already offer cheaper unbranded clothing and second-hand shops to save families money.
“The costs are phenomenal for so many parents,” Glasgow said. “We know that 50% of our parents earn less than $50,000 per annum. So for some families, you’re having to pay two weeks worth of salary simply to provide a uniform for a child.”
Britain is expected to introduce its cost savings next September.
