Two in Five Parents Struggling with School Uniform Costs
Survey finds thousands of children nationally punished over unaffordable uniforms, as cost pressures hit East of England families
The survey, conducted by The Children’s Society, reveals the worrying numbers of school children across the UK who have faced punishments linked to unaffordable uniforms – including detentions (12%), isolation (9%), and even exclusions (8%). Secondary school pupils were most likely to be affected, with one in eight (12%) placed in isolation for uniform breaches beyond their control.
Mark Russell, Chief Executive of The Children’s Society, said:
“In the East of England, too many families are feeling the squeeze from high uniform costs. Every child in our region should be able to attend school without fear of being singled out because their parents can’t afford expensive branded items.
“With school uniform costs still crippling family budgets, we welcome the proposed limit of three branded items in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill and urge the government to implement it – parents overwhelmingly support this much-needed change.”
Over a third of parents said that uniform prices had not become more affordable over the past year, despite efforts to make more second-hand items available.
The Children’s Society is working with charity shops, community projects, and uniform banks to make affordable second-hand uniforms more accessible across the East of England and the rest of the UK.