How €5 uniforms take pain out of school bills
Discount retailer’s deal hailed as much-needed boost for parents
ALDI is again selling school uniforms for just €5 in a welcome boost to parents facing steep back-to-school costs.
The move has been widely hailed – with One Family, a group for people parenting alone, among those praising the discount retailer.
It said: ‘We warmly welcome any measure that reduces the cost of “back to school” for parents. This is always a highly stressful time for parents, particularly those parenting alone, and we would call on the Government to introduce a scheme to provide free school books for all children and take the pressure off parents.’
The uniform bundle, on sale from July 12, includes a pair of trousers or a skirt in grey or navy, one round-neck sweatshirt in red or navy, and two plain-pack polo shirts available in blue or white, all for just a fiver.
Finbar McCarthy, group buying director at Aldi Ireland, said: ‘Parents are familiar with the annual uniform scramble, and we’re here to help reduce back-to-school hassle, without breaking the bank.
‘This year, the products in our €5 uniform package are better than ever before, and as well as the amazing prices, all of the items in our school uniform collection are high quality and have been independently quality-tested, so whatever your children get up to, you’ll know their clothes are up to the challenge.’
The Department of Education last week reminded schools that they should allow parents to purchase generic uniforms for their children in a bid to keep costs down.
Education Minister Richard Bruton said: ‘Last year, I issued a circular to all schools requiring them to do everything possible to keep costs down for parents, including the use of generic items, sew-on or iron-on crests, and making sure that various elements of the uniform can be purchased at multiple stores.’
Laura Erskine, head of community for MummyPages.ie, also welcomed Aldi’s announcement of the re-introduction of the €5 uniforms deal.
Ms Erskine said: ‘The cost of school uniforms is thankfully no longer the biggest expense for parents at back-to-school time.
‘Last year, the Government finally took control of the issue and insisted all schools provide a list of approved generic alternatives to expensive crested uniforms.
‘Aldi led the way along with its nearest German competitor [Lidl] to introduce an entire school uniform for the younger members of primary school for as little as €5.’
Ms Erskine added that some parents were initially hesitant about the uniforms considering their cost and origin, but she said Aldi has showed that these uniforms would last and are being ethically produced. ‘Our mums would agree and many of them purchase as many elements of the uniform as they can in Aldi, often buying two and three sets in different sizes, with one eye on the second term with growing children,’ she said.
School uniforms have in the past been among the most expensive items parents purchased during back-to-school shopping trips.
According to the Irish League of Credit Unions’ 2017 survey of back-to-school costs, the average parent spends €144 on uniforms and clothing each year.
It was also revealed that parents of primary school children spend an average of €122 on uniforms and clothing annually, while parents of secondary school students fork out €173.
‘It’s a highly stressful time’
EVEN though his name is seldom mentioned nowadays, the late Donogh O’Malley is arguably the most visionary politician in the history of the State.
His decision to introduce free education in the late Sixties changed the lives of the generations who followed. But it also had a positive impact on the economy, both in terms of delivering a more skilled workforce and attracting foreign investors.
The problem, though, is that the State school system can no longer really be considered as ‘free’. Against that backdrop it is unsurprising that Labour senator Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, a former teacher and principal, is calling for a ban on so-called voluntary contributions.
Nor, however, is that the only sort of pressure that hard-pressed families come under. The Irish Daily Mail has run a longstanding campaign for parents to be allowed clothe their children in cheap, generic school uniforms.
That some retailers are selling uniforms at very inexpensive prices is a good thing. But the fundamental issue is that vast numbers of parents are unable to avail of that option because their children go to schools where there are compulsory and highly specific dress codes.
Less than a year ago, Leo Varadkar observed that this newspaper had achieved some success ‘in terms of cajoling this Government into doing more on school uniforms’. His comment came after Richard Bruton issued new guidelines encouraging boards of management to cut the cost to parents – or else face reduced capitation grants.
But the problem is that nowhere near enough has been done. Right across the country, schools are still directing parents to buy from ‘official’ suppliers. Neither the Taoiseach nor the Education Minister has shown any appetite for taking the action that is really needed to address this.
Given that they put children on a broadly equal footing, school uniforms are a good thing. But there is no excuse for preventing people from shopping around for something that suits their household budget.
Not for a moment would the Mail suggest that schools shouldn’t be free to stipulate the colour, fabric and other basic details of a uniform. But the bottom line is that one V-neck pullover is pretty much the same as the next. The same goes for a pair of grey flannel trousers and so on. The existing situation needs to change. Until it does, school uniforms will effectively be yet another stealth tax on families.