Coughlan has no plans for guidelines on uniforms

EDUCATION Minister Mary Coughlan has said she has no plans to issue guidelines or direct schools to make uniforms less expensive despite the pressures on some families to meet the costs.

However, the Consumers Association of Ireland (CAI) has called on her department to take a more active role in discouraging policies that make some schools’ uniforms far more expensive than those in others.

The Tánaiste said school uniforms, just like other policy areas, remain the responsibility of those running the country’s 4,000 primary and second-level schools.

“Decisions regarding school uniforms are a matter for the board of management of each individual school. My department has not issued specific guidance on the matter,” she said.

However, she said the Department of Education recommends the formulation of such policies should allow for prior consultation with teachers, parents and pupils where appropriate, and enable any concerns about the issue of cost to be raised and considered,” the minister said.

Dermot Jewell, chief executive of the CAI, said general uniform costs may be falling on average, but the Tánaiste should be far more vocal on the issue.

“We would like to see that the department would take an interest to see what could be done to standardise the system and assist parents, as well as schools themselves. Schools should change their outlook because staff are very well aware of what’s going on.

“But very often boards of management seem to ignore the requests of teachers and parents groups, saying they have a reputation to uphold. But a reputation is not built around how a uniform is structured, it goes far broader than that,” he said.

The Joint Managerial Body (JMB), which represents the boards of almost 400 religious second level schools, does not advise members specifically on policy issues like this, but said they should always keep financial circumstances in mind.

“We would ask schools to take into account the pressures on families, particularly in the current economic situation. They should ensure that whatever requirements are in place are family-friendly and take note of the difficulties families may be experiencing, be it as a result of unemployment or problems with mortgages or anything else,” said JMB general secretary Ferdia Kelly.

Mr Jewell acknowledged the strides that many schools have made to help parents with the costs of events such as First Communion and Confirmation for Catholic pupils by telling them children can only wear their uniform or a school jacket.

“But it would be helpful to extend this to uniforms, particularly for children whose uniforms have to be replaced during the year when they are constantly growing, because this applies not just to skirts and jumpers but it’s now being extended to school tracksuits, or polo shirts and gym gear. Some costs may have gone down in Ireland, but everybody in the country is being hit in the pocket in the last year or two, no matter what level they are at,” he said.