Councils ‘could do better’ when it comes to paying for uniforms

Call to make schoolwear more affordable as research shows grant scheme disparities

More should be done by councils to ensure school uniforms are affordable for all, it has been claimed, amid suggestions most local authority grants fall well short of what is needed.

With the new academic year starting across Courier country this week, the controversial issue has been highlighted by Fife councillor James Calder, who has called on Fife Council’s SNP/Labour administration to review its school uniform grant scheme in light of figures from the Poverty Truth Commission.

Research from the campaign group revealed that Fife’s grant of £55 remains below the Scottish average of £63.80 and well below what it considered to be a reasonable estimate of £129.50 – based on the cost of kitting out a child for school even when shopping at supermarkets and bargain stores.

Mr Calder has now called for the kingdom’s education chiefs to look into the matter “as a matter of urgency”.

“This is going to hit hard the finances of parents from the poorest backgrounds,” he said. “School uniforms should not be cripplingly expensive for anyone.”

The 1980 Education Act specifies that local authorities must make provision for the clothing of pupils who would otherwise be unable to afford schoolwear, although the amount low-income parents can claim still varies massively across Scotland.

Dundee raised its school clothing grant to £81 across the board in time for session 2016-17, while Perth and Kinross offers £45 for primary pupils and £50 for secondary pupils.

Angus Council used to offer the lowest amount at just £20, although that was put up in recent years to £50.

Parents and carers of secondary school children in West Lothian can receive up to £110 per child.

In response to the criticism levelled in Fife, Councillor Fay Sinclair, the education and children’s services convener, said: “Our schools continually review their uniform policy with parents, and it is generally accepted that in the long run a school uniform can provide better value for money.”

Rhona Cunningham, chief executive officer of Fife Gingerbread, which supports lone parents and vulnerable families across the region, acknowledged the figures but stressed that it would rather see the wider, deep-rooted causes of poverty or low incomes tackled in the first place.