Parents revolt over R9 000 Armani school uniform

● A Japanese school’s plan to introduce Armani-branded uniforms for its pupils, at a cost of about ¥80 000 (R9 000) a pop, has sparked complaints and fierce debate, even reaching as far as parliament.

The local education board confirmed that the Taimei Elementary School in Tokyo’s flashy Ginza district would adopt the designer uniforms from April.

Although 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.

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

In a letter announcing the uniform, the administration reportedly said the outfits were a bid to tie the 150-year-old school to the upscale Ginza district.

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,” said one parent, who did not wish to be identified.

“This is outrageous; kids’ sizes change,” one disgruntled commentator wrote online.

The uniform features sharply tailored blazers as well as add-ons such as bags that can push the total cost to about ¥90 000, a price another commentator described as “just too expensive for uniforms for fast-growing children”.

Opposition legislator Manabu Terada raised the issue in parliament, questioning the logic of such an expensive uniform at a state school with pupils from a range of backgrounds.

Italian brand Armani retains a nostalgic prestige for some in Japan, who associate it with the boom years of the economy. — AFP