Barnardos, the National Parents Council (NPC) and the Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) have called on schools to introduce measures that can bring down the costs of uniforms for children. 

A review guide has been issued to the boards of management of all schools by the collective.

It was suggested that some savings can be made by purchasing plain options from school uniform suppliers and having the school's crest sewn on. 

Designs themselves could also be reviewed, as digitised design and stitch count could be factors that determine variations in cost. 

This comes at a time when cutbacks being imposed on schools are being criticised for going too far. 

Ferdia Kelly, general secretary of the Joint Managerial Body, warned that this could lead to pupils missing out from a personal and educational perspective. 

However, June Tinsley from Barnardos underlined the fact that families are also struggling financially. 

"Year on year parents are struggling to cope with the costs of sending their children to school and uniforms are huge part of this," she commented.

Written by Donal Walsh

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