Pepe Di’Iasio, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, responds to a Department for Education press release on the cost of school uniform.
“Schools are acutely conscious of the financial pressures on families and the need to keep the cost of uniforms to a minimum. Most school leaders already take measures to ensure that is the case. We support the intention behind the government’s plans to limit the number of branded items, but have suggested that a cap on the cost of uniforms might be a better way of achieving this policy aim.
“Many families face wider financial pressures and cannot afford basic amenities. The rate of child poverty in the UK is simply appalling. We hope to see the government publish a meaningful strategy to tackle this issue in the near future.”