The University of Aberdeen has played a pivotal role in influencing policy and public understanding around the affordability and accessibility of school uniforms, as highlighted in a new briefing from The Children's Society.
A limit on school-branded uniform items will be included in the upcoming Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill covering England after the results of a new survey underscored the financial strain that uniform costs place on families and outlined the benefits limiting the number of branded items that schools can require their pupils to wear can bring.
Central to this conversation is the work of Dr Rachel Shanks, Senior Lecturer in the School of Education and Director of Social Inclusion and Cultural Diversity at the University of Aberdeen.
Conducted in partnership with the University of London, the latest research reveals that 54% of families with the lowest income are struggling to pay for school uniforms. As a result, some children are wrongly being penalised - facing detention, exclusion or even isolation.
Parents overwhelmingly supported the introduction of a statutory limit on school-branded uniform, with 78% agreeing such a limit should be put in place.
When asked about the specific items schools should be allowed to require to be school-branded, the median number of items parents chose was three, in line with the measure in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.
Moreover, over half of parents on the lowest incomes selected zero to two items to be school-branded, with just one-in-five of those parents choosing five or more.
Dr Shanks welcomed the measures put forward by the UK Government in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, saying: “While there has been progress in bringing down the costs of school uniforms, this latest survey shows there is still more to be done, especially for the families on the lowest incomes and those struggling with the affordability of school uniforms.
“Addressing the challenges of often expensive branded uniform items is a key next step in reducing the burdens on families’ finances and the measures put forward in the Bill will help to increase choice for parents when shopping for uniform, giving them more flexibility and helping reduce costs.”