Schools urged to help cut price of uniforms
Restricting suppliers ‘costs £50m’
SCHOOL uniforms could be brought down in price for Scots parents after 2500 headteachers were contacted by the UK Government with a request to review restrictions on who supplies term-time clothing.
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) said parents across theUK could be spending £50 million too much for the uniforms, given that schools often limit choice on where the items can be bought.
The OFT sent the letter following a survey that found items could be as much as £5 to £10moreexpensivewhenbought from retailers or suppliers selected by schools or from their own shops.
It said families could save tens of millions of pounds if primary and secondary schools removed restrictions and allowed them to shop around freely.
The study also found 74% of state schools continue to place restrictions on where parents must buy some uniformitems.
In one example, the average price of a secondary school’s sweatshirt was £12 under a restricted arrangement compared with an indicative cost of £8 at competing retailers and £5 at a supermarket.
The survey found schools use a single supplier for a number of reasons, including wanting a consistent, good-quality uniform and convenience for parents.
The OFT said schools could still have “smart” school uniform policies without appointing a single supplier.
It suggested schools could achieve consistency through setting out colour and style requirements in more detail but still allow parents choice about where to buy items.
Susan Oxley, assistant director in the OFT’s goods and
l
l consumer group, said: “When schools require that uniforms are bought from a preferred supplier or shop it can act as a tax on families, which mostly goes to the chosen retailers.
“However, when families are able to shop around for school uniform items it can drive competition and bring down prices for all.”
Ms Oxley added: “We know schools don’twant families to be left out of pocket and we have written to schools across the UK asking them to review their policies and supplier arrangements.”
However, Bobby Caldwell, who chairs the parent council at Williamwood High School in Clarkston, East Renfrewshire, said he did not believe parents at the school – one of 35 state primary and secondary schools across Glasgow, East Renfrewshire and East Dunbartonshire whose uniforms are supplied by Giffnock-based Man’s World – would support relaxing its uniformpolicy.
Mr Caldwell said that while Man’s World had been selected as the school’s “preferred supplier”, parentswere nonetheless free to shop around.