The Education Minister, has welcomed the Executive's
agreement to formally enable the preparation of a School Uniforms
Bill by the Office of the Legislative Counsel.
Once in law, the new School Uniforms Bill will require schools to
place affordability at the centre of their policies.
Welcoming the Executive's agreement, said: “I previously
indicated my intention to bring primary legislation forward and
today marks a key milestone in enabling me to do just
that.
“School uniforms play an important role in the ethos of
our schools. They help to improve behaviour and a sense of
belonging and identity. But we want to be sure they are
affordable for parents.
“While there is much good practice in our schools, there
are still some whose uniform policies do not place affordability
at the centre or follow the current guidance. I am concerned
that parents should not find the cost of a school uniform a
significant outlay, and it definitely should not deter them from
applying for a particular school."
The Minister concluded: “Once the new legislation is in
place, it will remain a matter for schools to determine whether
to have a uniform and, if so, what that uniform will be.
What the legislation will do is work in tandem with strengthened,
statutory guidance to ensure that affordability is transparent
and at the centre of school uniform policies.”
In June, the Education Minister launched a public
consultation seeking views on school uniform policy. It received
almost 7,500 responses, almost half of which were from parents.
The results of the consultation will be published in the coming
weeks.
