Law over school uniform costs will 'not deliver for parents'

The law gives the education minister the power to cap school uniform costs, with the hope of making them more affordable

A bill aimed at addressing the costs of school uniforms is "light-touch" and will not deliver for parents, the Alliance Party has said.

The party's chair of the education committee, Nick Mathison, was speaking ahead of a debate on the legislation at Stormont on Monday.

The law will compel schools to explain to parents the reasons for uniform prices and provide the minister with an "enabling power" to cap costs, but it will not include a specific price cap.

Mathison said it was not clear what the guidelines to schools will contain and that it was "disappointing" the legislation was not more detailed.

He said the assembly speaker Edwin Poots had also rejected proposed amendments for debate that would ensure all schools allow girls to wear trousers.

"There is nothing around that, nothing about the sensory issues experienced by children with special educational needs, there are a whole range of things that are now not going to be included," he told reporters.

"I think that's a failing on the minister, it should have been included in the bill as drafted."

Mathison has tabled an amendment that would require the minister - currently the Democratic Unionist Party's (DUP) Paul Givan - to return to the assembly on a three-year cycle to update assembly members (MLAs) about how the new law is having an impact.

"There's no doubt if a cap was to be introduced we would be leading the way globally, my concern is that by just making it an enabling power it will sit and gather dust," added Mathison.

What is the average cost of school uniforms?

A UK-wide report in 2023 found parents were spending about £422 a year on secondary school uniforms and £287 on primary school uniforms.

Some families here can qualify for a one-off payment to help by uniforms for primary and secondary school pupils. There is no grant available for pupils in nursery.

The rates for the 2025-26 school year are:

• £42.90 for primary school pupils born on or before 1 July 2021

• £61.20 for secondary school pupils under 15

• £67.20 for secondary school pupils aged 15 and over

An additional payment of £26.40 is available for secondary school pupils to help with the cost of PE kits.

The Education Authority in Northern Ireland currently spends about £6m a year, to support 94,000 pupils, as part of the uniform grant scheme.