Parents are trying best

After reading the article in the Echo on September 7 about the school uniform debacle I feel compelled to comment on it.

Tory councillor Robert Oliver says parents are to blame. Does that include grandparents as well who have contributed to paying for all or part of the uniform?

He states parents should have budgeted for this. Had they been on teachers’ wages and councillor wages they probably could have.

How do you budget for catching several buses to get to Total Sports then making several journeys to try to get uniform that fits.

My grandson’s trousers had to be taken up at extra cost.

Is he also aware parents were buying girl’s trousers for boys as some were better fitting?

I thought it was illegal for one company to have a monopoly on merchandise.

Even the Education Authority’s guidelines were ignored about choice and cost.

The issue here is not parents ignoring the rules but trying their best to comply in impossible circumstances.

No amount of warning would have prevented this situation. Many parents did not know about the vouchers but had they been able to buy cheaper uniform may not have needed them or had to lower themselves.

The treatment of the pupils was absolutely disgraceful and should have been handled better.

The principal/headmistress states that most parents agreed with her on this. That does not appear to hold water after all the complaints I’ve seen.

As to parents and pupils picking the uniform the new starters had no choice.

Just like typical Tory councillor, Mr Oliver jumped on the bandwagon and blames anybody but the people responsible namely Kepier school and the EA for allowing it to happen.

Apparently members of staff were seen at Total Sports getting free uniforms to hand out at school where necessary. I can’t help but feel that somebody is profiting from this.

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