LABOUR’S VOW TO LOWER SCHOOL UNIFORMS COST

LABOUR has pledged to bring down the cost of buying school uniforms as it warned parents could be forced to spend more than £5,100 kitting out their kids.

Shadow Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson promised to tackle the problem as a “matter of urgency”.

A Labour government would restrict to three the number of branded school items, such as blazers, ties and sports kits, that schools require pupils to buy. Analysis by the party shows that families with a child starting in reception are projected to spend more than £5,165 on uniforms over the course of their education if they buy new clothes every year. Uniform prices for secondary school pupils have soared by a quarter in the past three years alone.

Ms Phillipson said: “Labour will take tough and urgent action in the interest of families’ finances.

“We will, at a stroke, change statutory guidance for schools to stop parents from having to shell out thousands of pounds for multiple items of branded uniform.” Labour this week will also unveil plans to tackle the “generational challenge” of pupils missing school.

Analysis found in the 2021/2022 year, 27.7% of secondary school pupils – 1.6 million – were classed as “persistently absent”, missing out on at least 10% of classes. In a speech tomorrow,

Ms Phillipson will say: “Only Labour has a long-term plan to tackle the crisis. It starts with additional mental health counsellors in secondary schools, mental health hubs in every community and free breakfast clubs for every primary school pupil.”