The government should introduce a scheme to help families afford school uniform

[Darcey123]

School uniform is an important part of children's everyday school life. Hardworking parents deserve help to be able to afford the best school uniform for their child.

The Government should make school uniform more affordable by introducing a salary sacrifice scheme where parents exchange a small part of their monthly salary for school uniform vouchers. This will not only help parents to budget for back to school time, it will make uniform more affordable because salary given up will be tax exempt.

The scheme would be available to all employers and employees who wish to opt in, with vouchers redeemable at participating retailers. Any retailer can join the scheme. It will be similar to the existing successful childcare voucher scheme.

Please help us sign this petition: epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/65790

[Sleepyhoglet]

Disagree

[Sleepyhoglet]

Whoops I meant I agree.

[SanityClause]

I disagree with school uniforms, full stop.

[Inthedarkaboutfashion]

That wouldn't help people who are self employed or unemployed. What should those people do under your suggested scheme?

[HauntedNoddyCar]

But surely cheap supermarket uniforms are fine. I cannot see the point of this. Two skirts for a fiver. Salary sacrifice would save a pound.

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

I thought there were already government schemes subsidising uniform for low income parents?

[ProtegeMoi]

Once children get to high school supermarket cheapie a are not usually allowed. £65 for a blazer at my local high school is extortionate! That's on top of £22 for a logo jumper, £15 for a logo polo shirt. It all adds up!

If uniform is compulsory then help should be given to those who struggle.

[Heels99]

The problem with salary sacrifice is that people still need to earn under the statutory minimum wage after the sacrifice is made and if you are on low wage it means this isn't possible. This is why low earners often can't take advantage of childcare vouchers. Also low earners often prefer flexibility of cash over salary sacrifice vouchers.

Councils used to offer uniform grants when I was at school. It was £70 per year and that was 30 years ago. I don't think salary sacrifice is the answer. Most schools have second hand uniform available for pennies

[Heels99]

Sorry! Over the statutory minimum wage obviously not under it! I.e after the sacrifice is made, base salary needs to be above min wage. So those on min wage and thereabouts can't join these schemes.

The childcare vouchers scheme hasn't been very successful for this and other reasons which is why it will be closed to new joiners from oct 2015 and replaced with a new scheme that isn't salary sacrifice and that self employed people can join.

[balia]

The only really expensive uniform is the kind that Protégé is talking about, the exclusively logo'd ripoff kind. I'd sign a petition to ban that. Let people buy uniform they can afford, and schools can provide iron on/sew on logos if they think it is important. Then it would be much easier to buy and sell uniform on Ebay or similar, as it would be more generic (except for colours). Why should the tax payer subsidise a £15 polo shirt when you can buy 3 for a fiver from a supermarket?

[motherinferior]

Surely it would be better simply to set a limit on the cost of school uniform items, if schools must have uniforms at all?

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

Surely it would be better simply to set a limit on the cost of school uniform items, if schools must have uniforms at all?

Agree. It is ridiculous that a state school can require a £65 blazer - its just stealth selection.

[MrsCakesPremonition]

All schools should be forced to name a cheap alternative supplier, perhaps Tesco with their very reasonably priced logo items.

[Inthedarkaboutfashion]

I thought there were already government schemes subsidising uniform for low income parents?
Some councils help low income families by providing grants, but not all councils and those that do give help usually only provide grants for the first year of senior school. Uniform needs to be cheaper full stop, schemes that only help certain groups are not the answer.

[wintersweet1977]

Well said Balia, my local high school, which my four children will be likely to go to, insists that their uniform is bought logos and silly stripes through the black pleated skirts so you can't buy them from other places. My Brother has just paid out for his two daughters uniforms for the summer term, yes they have different, mandatory tops in the summer and the tops were over a tenner each so over £100 for his two girls for the summer term alone. I believe that the blazers last September cost £67 for the younger girl and £72 for the older girl. Plus the skirts were about £15 each. Not to mention the jumpers and specific PE kit with, yes, the school logo on, his two sets of school uniform cost more that £500 for the two girls and that's without shoes and bags. This is all at a state run school. I think that the Government should address this!

[HauntedNoddyCar]

Ah take your point about that if blazers cost 65 pounds. That's just daylight robbery. Which should be stopped rather than subsidised. An iron on or sewn badge should be allowed on a supermarket item.

[Nerf]

Anything rather than the massive tip off of 400 when dd started secondary. Absolute joke that schools can insist on skirts to such a specific design and embroidered with their initials. And lab coats etx.

[Theas18]

Honestly. Nope!

You've got to clothe kids somehow. I dispute that you would do it cheaper for a non uniform secondary. A "£65 blazer is a rip off" not compared with a super dry jacket ..... And that would have to be " upgraded" within a year but a blazer may do 2yrs ( blazers for dd are £35 or so anyway)

How many non uniform items would you need for a year for a teenager at non uniform school. Without taking into account " what's in" fashion wise you need summer and winter stuff, and not wearing the same item more than a couple of times a week etc. Mine aren't label followers but might be if it was the culture at school, but primark stuff won't take the wear ( it's fine for weekends ) .

Dd2 has 1 skirt, 1 blazer (1 very ancient pair if trousers in case if disasters) 3 new shirts ( and 3 from last year in case) and 1 jumper and 1 sweatshirt. All worn/ washed/ worn next day and holding out well . The zip on her skirt went an couple of weeks ago though - she has had that, and worn it daily for nearly 2yrs.

When eldest went to " business dress" she had 3 skirts 3 matching ( had to match! ) cardies and numerous shirts. They now have to have suits with jackets. They only wear this for 2yrs. Getting skirts that are part of a suit AND long enough ( to be regulation) that they will actually agree to wear! Agony. 1 skirt,1 style, no debate - and you can be very sympathetic " yes dear it might get a bit frumpy but it's what you have to wear".

So glad DS was in uniform for 6th form!

[ProtegeMoi]

Theas - my children wear supermarket basics plus cheap bundles of ebay and have just the items they NEED so for me it's a hell of a lot less than the cost of school uniform, which dosnt last 2 years as each year has their own colour trim so as they progress the blazer must be changed. They don't do brands at all because we can't afford them.

School uniform there is no choice however which has occasionally meant borrowing money to afford it. Especially when they have compulsory shin pads, hockey sticks, logoed track suits. It's extortionate!

[BackforGood]

Disagree with the petition too. I agree with what Theas18 has said.

What would be worth kicking up a fuss about, is the individual schools putting such restrictive items on their uniform list.

I've seen 3 through Primary and now have 3 in secondary that I couldn't have clothed cheaper without uniform, indeed, I'm fairly certain it would have been FAR more expensive.

[TheFairyCaravan]

I would only sign a petition to get the Government to address the rip off that some school uniforms are.

IMO £65 or £72 for a blazer is a rip off and it should not be allowed. I have 2 teen boys, when they went to college in non-uniform it was cheaper. They have never had a Superdry coat, it's the height of tackiness in their opinions!

[Inthedarkaboutfashion]

The issue is that too many schools are moving towards uniforms that are similar to the private schools. £72 for a blazer and different colour stripes on uniforms for each year group is ridiculous.
One of the best private schools in the country is proud if it's very inexpensive uniform. A blazer for a senior aged child costs less than £40 or parents can just buy the logo and stitch it onto the blazer of their choice (as long as it's the correct colour blazer). The only compulsory items are the logo for the blazer and the school tie. Why can't state schools do the same?
I am a fan of school uniform because I remember being the kid who didn't have cool enough clothes to wear on non uniform days. If every day had been a non uniform day it would have been very difficult for me at senior school as I would have been ridiculed by other more fashionable teenagers.
The problem isn't that we have school uniforms the problem is that uniforms are too specific in terms of logos and specific markings meaning that they can be only purchased from specific suppliers at extortionate costs.

[Darcey123]

I think that school uniform is a great social leveller. After experiencing how mean children can be in the playground just because someone is not wearing the latest new expensive designer trend, school uniforms are welcome in our house.

The tricky issue comes with balancing quality and price. Far too often when I’ve chosen low price over good quality I have found that I am having to replace these items far more often than when I spend a little extra on the better quality alternative.

I saw an article where TV psychologist Jo Hemmings said she believes that a better fitting good quality school uniform can have massive impacts on children psychologically making them take pride in their appearance, making them better behaved and reducing the risk of bullying.

We all know being a parent is pretty tough but I think this scheme will mean that we will have one less thing to worry about. It will be for all parents no matter what their income is and the vouchers can be saved up and used in the summer or used as and when they’re needed. It’s great that these will be able to be used at all retailers. So that if you do choose to buy from a supermarket, that pack of polos that cost a fiver could be even cheaper and the money saved could be used for other things. Pennies make pounds after all and every saving counts.

I am all for this scheme and hope it comes into effect soon. Anything to make life a little easier for us mums!

[Inthedarkaboutfashion]

Except the vouchers will not be available to people who are unemployed or who earn below the income tax threshold. They will not be available to all parents regardless of income.
I do agree that quality of uniform is important because often very cheap items are a false economy, but a blazer doesn't need to cost £70 to be good quality. A perfectly good quality blazer should cost no more than £35.