21 December 2023
The Minister for Children and Education, Deputy Inna Gardiner, has approved an Island wide policy to limit the number of bespoke uniform items that Government schools can include in their uniform policy. Bespoke items will be limited up to five items per child, inclusive of PE kit. Items provided to students free of charge are not included in this number.
The change comes following a report from the Jersey Competition Regulatory Authority (JCRA) which was published in April 2023. It made recommendations to try and balance the benefits of having school uniforms, against the desire to reduce costs for parents. The results showed that in some schools, branded or compulsory (bespoke) items made up to 40% of the uniform. The guidance on this can be found here.
Deputy Gardiner said: “My main priority has always been to help parents and carers with reducing costs where possible. Public concern over the cost of uniforms is also echoed by children, and every small saving we can make matters while we are in a cost-of-living crisis.
“We know that there is a sense of school community pride and other benefits associated with the wearing of school uniform. However, some further concerns that were raised by children included the feel and comfort of some of the items; this is an opportunity to engage with potential new suppliers to improve that going forwards. I have intentionally included a transition period within this policy, so that children can continue to wear their current uniform with no need to rush and buy new items in the immediate future."
Some parents and carers will not be affected by this change as their school's policy doesn't exceed the 'up to five' bespoke item limit. Private and fee-paying schools are not impacted by the policy. Schools will communicate directly with their parents and carers to update them on where their school's bespoke items of uniform can be purchased for September 2024 and beyond.
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