Parents' chance to voice concerns over uniform costs

Uniform costs all add up. pic: nypost.com

IRELAND: Parents are to be given the power to decide on school uniform policies in an effort to cut costs. 

The Minister for Education and Skills Ruairí Quinn has moved to tackle the cost of school uniforms by strengthening the role of parents in how schools decide their  uniform policies.

Department officials and education partners will compile a template questionnaire that schools can use to consult with parents on uniforms matters.



All schools that have uniform policies, or are contemplating one, will use this template/questionnaire to  ballot parents to allow them decide on the type of uniform, or if they desire a uniform for their children for the 2014/15 school year.



PROPOSED PARENT OPTIONS 

It's understood that parents will have the opportunity to vote on a series of options such as:

• Do they want a school uniform or not?
  
• If they opt for a uniform do they want trousers, jumpers, blouses, shirts and skirts in colours/shades available in the large retail chains?

•  Do they want a school blazer, a school crest on garments and what type?
  

Minister Quinn said that empowering parents to determine school uniform policy is the most effective way to tackle back to school costs. 


PARENT'S CHARTER

The Department is also working on developing a 'parents charter' that will further strengthen the position of parents generally within the school system.

“I have consistently said that schools should listen to the parents on this matter, since it is parents who incur the costs arising from the decisions that schools make. Balloting all parents should ensure that a school fully captures the views of its parent body,” the minister said.

The Department will issue the template questionnaire to schools by the end of this month and schools are should complete the ballots by the end of February. This will give Boards of Management adequate time to consider the parents’ wishes and to determine the schools uniform policy for the next school year, according to Minister Quinn.

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