The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Doubling of clothing grant welcomed by councillor
Schools: Cash for uniforms will rise from £50 to £100 for start of next term
Families will benefit from a doubling of the school clothing grant in Aberdeenshire. The £50 allowance will increase to £100 for all applicants for the start of the next school term.
While all local authorities currently offer a clothing grant, the level varies across the country, from £110 in West Lothian to just £40 in North Ayrshire.
A recent proposal tabled by the Scottish Government will see the minimum threshold set at £100 nationally – a 50% increase in Aberdeenshire.
It is proposed the government will cover half the cost of the initiative while local authorities will fund the remainder, with a total of £150,000 being set aside for Aberdeenshire.
Mearns SNP councillor Leigh Wilson
“School uniforms can be expensive and no parent should send their child to school with the worry that they can’t afford the proper clothing
welcomed the impact the funding will have in his ward.
He said: “I was elected on a manifesto which pledged to close the attainment gap between the richest and the poorest and this step will go a long way in helping to achieve that.
“School uniforms can be expensive and no parent should send their child to school with the worry that they can’t afford the proper clothing.
“Parents have contacted me in the Mearns, telling me that although they work hard and try to provide for their families, there often just isn’t enough money at the of the week.
“Having to fund a full school uniform can add to these anxieties and so, families across the Mearns will be safe in the knowledge that help is there for them should they need it.”
The Attainment Scotland Fund saw schools given a cash injection, known as the Pupil Equity Fund, which is targeted towards those most in need of additional resources.
Aberdeenshire schools will receive almost £3 million for the new academic year with £150,000 of that being allocated to schools in the Mearns.