Education Minister launches public consultation on school uniform policy

The Education Minister has launched a new public consultation to seek views on school uniform policy in Northern Ireland.

Minister Paul Givan previously said he wanted to ensure no families are excluded from the school of their choice because of the prohibitive cost of a uniform. On March 5, he said he intended to launch a consultation on placing current guidance for schools on uniform policy into legislation and also the introduction of a price cap for school uniforms.

Now, he is encouraging the public to have their say on a public consultation on the matter, which will run from June 20 until September 27.

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Launching the consultation, the Minister said: “I am clear that my overarching aim is to ensure that all school governing bodies put affordability, comfort and sustainability at the centre of their decision-making when they set their school uniform requirements.

“School uniforms play an important part in the engagement of pupils with their school. I recognise that many schools in Northern Ireland follow the existing guidance and work hard to keep the costs of school uniforms as low as possible.

"However, I know that some schools continue to have uniform policies where certain items are expensive or restrictive in where parents or carers can buy a uniform."

The Department of Education has engaged with key interest groups and stakeholders, and this has informed the current proposals outlined in the consultation document. The consultation focuses on two key areas:

• introducing statutory guidance; and,

• introducing a cap on uniform costs.

The consultation centres around six key principles which will underpin the proposed guidance on uniforms. These principles are that school uniforms should be affordable, comfortable, and sustainable, and that uniform policies should be developed in partnership with pupils and their parents/ carers, published, and regularly reviewed.

The Minister continued: “At a time of growing pressure on family budgets, the cost of a school uniform should not be a factor that parents or carers need to consider when selecting which school they wish their child to attend. I want to create a system where schools, supported by appropriate legislation and policy, will ensure that their uniforms are affordable for all.

"I encourage as many people as possible to give their views and feedback on the consultation proposals in order to shape final policy proposals and legislation on this important issue."

You can have your say in the public consultation through the Department of Education website here.

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