Uniform costs: Schools issued instructions to keep price down, ahead of new rules coming into force next year
New rules lowering the price of uniforms are set to be in force by the start of the next school year.
The Department of Education today issued guidelines to schools across the province ahead of the requirements becoming legally in force, which Minister Paul Givan says should happen before September 2026.
The guidelines include ways to keep costs down for parents, such as suggesting acrylic blazers instead of wool, which are lower in price and easier to wash and maintain.
They also say branded items should be kept to a minimum, stating that secondaries and grammars should allow pupils to have a generic blazer with a sew-on patch instead of mandating the purchase of specific styles sporting a school’s name and emblem.
Schools are also to “prioritise” generic PE kits, and guidelines say it would be “helpful” to have a stock of sports equipment instead of asking parents to buy the likes of hockey sticks, cricket helmets and pads, and tennis and badminton rackets.
Honours and Sixth Form blazers should be optional, state the guidelines, while the overall price of uniforms should be “equitable across genders”, with “no material cost differences between boys and girls”.
Parents and pupils are also to be consulted when schools draw up their new uniform policies, and those policies should be reviewed every three years to make sure they’re sticking to the guidelines.
The new system was passed by Stormont last month, and now only needs Royal Assent to become law – which is expected to happen within months.
Said Education Minister Paul Givan: “There are 16 guidelines in total, which cover affordability, comfort, practicality, sustainability, safety, suitability for all seasons, and making adjustments for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities.
“The guidelines also set out how schools should consult with parents and pupils in particular on their school uniform policies, review these policies regularly and publish information on matters such as the rationale for uniform choices, including the cost of items and where they can be purchased.
“Additionally, they ensure uniform requirements will not prevent pupil participation or penalise pupils who are unable to afford items.
“These robust guidelines address all the necessary matters within [the new rules] and will ensure affordability becomes a key consideration for school uniform policies.”