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Secondary schools 'should stop imposing specialised uniforms'
Posted by SchoolDays Newshound on 26/08/2010.
Tags: Secondary School NewsPrimary and secondary schools have been blasted for making parents buy expensive uniforms.
According to the Irish Examiner, the National Consumer Agency has suggested that educational facilities should promote options to buy best-value uniforms for parents, instead of forcing them to purchase clothes with the school crest on that can only be bought from one supplier at one price.
Chief executive of the agency Ann Fitzgerald said: "We would urge all school managements to be sensitive to the monetary pressures which prescriptive requirements in relation to school uniforms can place on parents and to minimise costs where possible."
In response to this, education minister Mary Coughlan told the newspaper that it is up to each school to decide the cost implications of their uniform on parents.
The tanaiste's comments come despite the Department of Social Protection already having paid out 60 million euros for parents to receive financial allowances to buy uniforms for their children.
Earlier this week, the Irish Independent reported that more families are seeking assistance from charities to help them pay for back to school costs.
Written by Donal Walsh
Rita Quinn
(29/08/2010 16:00)
As usual Government don't want to get involved with dealing with the mess they have made. They leave it to borad of management to decide on uniform, books cost and parents having to back up funds for schools to operate, where the " Voluntary Contributions" is the norm in every school in Ireland. What a laugh our so called FREE EDUCATION SYSTEM IS!!!! Many schools have expensive crested jumpers , jackets, sports wear etc, why can't they get the crest made so that parents can sew this on to cheaper item of school wear as is the norm in England and other Europen Schools, and not be so over the top on issue of pupils wearing expensive shoes, when a unbrand shoe will last as longer as the brand shoe which is costing twice the price. It's time parents called for a change to the whole issue of high cost for the "BACK TO SCHOOL" in a time when the children's allowance has been cut in the budget last year, and there are talks from this present government of cutting it again in this year budget, so parents unite and say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
There needs to be a freeze on changing school books every year in primary school level, and make the cost of secondary school books cheaper, more sites like this (School book exchange) But should be set up locally in schools, and the community to exchange book locally, and cut the cost of postage etc, on parents to obtain these books.School principals should listen to parents more on these issues.