Outcry over lavish Japan school kits

AJAPANESE school’s plan to introduce Armani-branded uniforms for its students, at a cost of nearly $750 a pop, has sparked complaints and fierce debate, even reaching as far as parliament.

The local education board confirmed to AFP that the Taimei Elementary School in Tokyo’s flashy Ginza district will adopt the designer uniforms from April, with a full set costing parents around 80,000 yen ($740).

While the school says the new uniforms are not mandatory, critics said parents would feel compelled to buy them to ensure their children were not left out.

Kyodo news agency said the local education board had received a string of complaints from parents, unconvinced by the school’s explanation that the designer uniform would be good branding.

But that did little to sway public opinion.

“This shouldn’t have been about designer brands, or tradition. The officials should have thought about the children and made a decision after holding discussions,” one parent, who did not wish to be identified, told national broadcaster NHK.

School principal Toshitsugu Wada admitted the price was “not low” but flatly denied any plans to back down, saying he wants to seek parents’ understanding, noting he sounded out other brands such as Burberry, Chanel and Hermes about producing its school uniform.