Climb-down on school uniform help for parents on low incomes
FAMILIES URGED TO APPLY FOLLOWING U-TURN... FOUR MONTHS AFTER CASH WAS TO BE SCRAPPED
THE Welsh Government will now help parents on low incomes pay for school uniforms... four months after it said the handout wasn’t needed.
In April it was reported how a £700,000 pot which allowed those on low incomes to apply for support with costly school uniforms was being axed this September.
There was an n outcry from parents, nts, prompting Welsh sh Education Min- ister Kirsty Williams to announce in June the cash would be reinstated as part of a new fund.
The new w money, part of £1.7m being put ut into the Pupil upil Development Grant (PDG), will be known as PDG-Access. The maximum grant is £125 per qualifying child. Ms Williams said: “We want all our pupils to have access to the same opportunities – whether in or outside of school – and PDG Acc Access is about making sure that happ happens. “W “We know that the costs of sc school unifo form, sports kit a and equipment for other activities can a all add up so it it’s really im important that pa parents and care ers are a aware of th this new fu fund and know where to apply.”
For the first time, learners in both Reception and Year 7 who are eligible for free school meals will fall within scope of the funding. Unlike the previous school uniform grant, all looked after children in these year groups will also be covered.
The money will be distributed via councils as it was before, and parents are being urged to apply straight away.
The message from the education minister contrasts sharply from that given in April, when a Welsh Government spokesman explained why the grant wasn’t needed.
He said: “Since the introduction of the grant, which was mainly for learners entering Year 7, school uniforms have reduced significantly in price and their availability has increased.
“We have also worked with school governing bodies to encourage schools to follow Welsh Government guidance on keeping uniform costs low.”
Darren Millar AM said: “This announcement amounts to an embarrassing climb-down from the Minister, and comes after a huge backlash from all corners.
“Make no mistake, the Education Secretary has been forced into doing the right thing.
“We warned that scrapping the grant would hit the poorest pupils the hardest and thankfully the Welsh Government has seen sense.
“Labour’s bonfire of education grants is causing huge concern amongst parents and teachers alike, and this U-turn is a sad indictment of the Welsh Government’s mismanagement of its resources.”