School uniform rules should not be barrier to education, NASUWT says
It comes as the government this week claimed that the parents of over four million children are set to benefit from lower school uniform costs
The Teacher’s Union, the NASUWT, has reiterated that uniforms should not act as a barrier to education, following the announcement that the Government intends to limit the number of branded items schools can require to three. The union said that school uniform rules should “promote equality and inclusion”, and said that costs have put “unbearable pressures” on families and carers.
To cut costs for families and “break down barriers” as part of the government’s new Plan for Change, new proposed laws will limit the number of branded, typically more expensive, items schools can require to three – excluding ties.
Matt Wrack, acting general secretary of NASUWT, said: “The NASUWT has long highlighted the pressures families face caused by some schools requiring parents to conform to extensive and detailed uniform policies.
“For many parents and carers this places unbearable pressure on them and can also lead to some children not applying for a place at certain schools because they may require a long list of expensive branded school clothing.”
He added: “School uniform rules should help promote equality and inclusion for all pupils and should not act as a barrier to education. We would also wish to see the government look more widely at the wider pressures facing families and in particular the issue of hygiene poverty.
“Too many children are suffering the shame and embarrassment of coming to school in dirty and unwashed clothes because their family either can’t afford to wash them or don’t have enough money for spare items of school uniform.”
It comes as the government this week claimed that the parents of over four million children are set to benefit from lower school uniform costs.
The government’s Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will proceed in the House of Lords this week, as government analysis showed new laws will wipe over £70m off the cost of uniform for families across the country.
It comes as a new survey found that a third of parents are still worried about uniform costs, with one in five schools said to have actually increased the number of branded items required over the past year.
While currently schools are required to limit the number of branded items they require, this survey found that almost half are not doing so.