CALLS are growing for Jersey schools to follow the UK in relaxing uniform requirements to help relieve the financial ‘pressure’ on parents amid the rising cost of living.
Carl Walker, head of the Consumer Council, said any rule changes that enabled greater use of non-branded clothing in local schools would help families who were struggling to ‘make ends meet’.
One Islander told the JEP she had to ‘beg for help’ after the cost of her children’s uniform amounted to hundreds of pounds.
St Helier Deputy and former teacher Rob Ward has also called for the government to help make uniforms available ‘in the most generic form’ and for ‘the cheapest price possible’.
Earlier this year, Children’s and Education Minister Inna Gardiner said she was committed to making uniforms more affordable, after the Jersey Competition and Regulatory Authority published a report on the market for school clothing.
That study found that a high proportion of schoolwear items were branded and compulsory, and therefore could impose additional cost on parents.
In 2022, new rules came into effect in England, which required schools to help keep costs down by taking steps to remove unnecessary branded items and allow more high-street options, such as supermarket own-label uniforms.
This included limiting any branding to long-lasting or low-cost items and making sure that cost and value for money ‘are given the highest priority’ when appointing suppliers.
A survey conducted by the UK Care Guide between 1 July and 22 August this year invited responses from 2,114 UK residents, and more than half of the respondents (52%) admitted to feeling ‘extremely stressed’ over the rising costs of school uniforms.
JEP poll results
The JEP launched a poll asking Islanders whether they thought school uniforms should be scrapped.
Of the 1,900 voters who had answered by Friday afternoon, 55% said yes.
Earlier this year, the JCRA identified that the small number of retailers, and the widespread use of exclusive contracts, meant that parents had a reduced choice when shopping for school uniforms.
The report made several recommendations, including the development of more specific guidance on the design and operation of competitive tenders, and that schools should conduct regular reviews of all contracts and supply arrangements for uniforms.
Following the JCRA study, Deputy Gardiner wrote to head teachers and shared the recommendations, with a view of helping them to come into effect from September 2024.
In a statement on Friday, she said: ‘Last year, I committed to taking action to bring down the cost of school uniforms, as I know this is an issue that concerns many families.
‘As I have mentioned elsewhere, the lead-in time for changes to uniforms is long, partly due to the timescale for suppliers to place orders.
‘However, I can reassure families that work is under way and is moving at a good pace for changes to be implemented by September 2024 in accordance with the Jersey Competition Regulatory Authority Market Study.’
She continued: ‘Since the JCRA published its findings in April, work has been ongoing to bring down the cost of uniforms for families.
‘The first recommendation tasked government with considering further policy developments. We have now created draft policy guidance for schools, which we will share with head teachers in the autumn term. Schools will be encouraged to engage with parents, and we will also ensure engagement with local uniform suppliers too.’
Deputy Gardiner explained that the draft policy guidance included the recommended requirement for schools to conduct regular reviews of contractors and supply arrangements.
‘CYPES officers will also be working with JCRA staff to develop guidance for schools on the design and operation of tenders for school uniforms,’ she added.
Although the latest published data placed Jersey’s inflationary RPI figure at 10.9% – down from 12.7% earlier in the year – the rising cost of living is continuing to squeeze the budgets of many households.
Testimonies
One Islander told the JEP that she had to ‘beg for help’ with her children’s uniform costs.
‘I am a single mother to twins transitioning into secondary school. The total [buy] included six pairs of shoes, uniforms, backpacks, pencil cases [and] was just under £700.
‘In the end, a charity kindly paid £400, which just covered the clothes. I still need to buy coats,’ she said.
Another Islander said that – although her family was not struggling with the cost of uniforms – the issue was infuriating as ‘so many families do struggle’.
‘Second-hand uniform is not always available in the sizes you need. Following the UK would save hundreds of Jersey families huge amounts of money, especially now during a cost-of-living crisis. UK government implemented this for a reason. Jersey politicians, please wake up and do the same,’ she said.
‘It doesn’t need to be a “ban”, just give parents the option of unbranded uniforms.’
Consumer Council
Consumer Council chair Carl Walker said: ‘Any relaxation of school uniform rules would surely benefit parents at a time when it is difficult to make ends meet in Jersey.’
He explained that the flexibility provided by non-branded clothing offered parents more options to shop around and find more affordable items.
‘If the [JCRA] report has been left on a shelf, then it is time to get it back down and dust it off,’ he continued, adding that there would have been ‘a lot of pressure’ on many parents over the summer break to buy school uniforms in time for the start of the new term.
Deputy Rob Ward stressed that he had ‘no problem’ with school uniforms, noting that they took away the pressure on children to wear the latest and most fashionable clothing.
However, he agreed that they should be made available ‘in the most generic form, for all students, at the cheapest price possible’.
‘Perhaps it could be something taken on directly by the Children, Young People, Education and Skills department,’ he continued. It does take intervention from government. You have to take action to make it happen.’
