The cost of living has impacted families across Merseyside.
School uniforms can seem like an added expense for families already struggling due to the increasing costs of bills and essential items. With the news that families could find themselves £1,200 worse off each year, are school uniforms really worth their cost?
The Department for Education announced guidance for schools to keep uniforms costs reasonable, and ensure that parents get the best value for money. The guidance is that schools should engage with parents on uniform policy and with significant changes.
READ MORE: Win a £100 Love2shop voucher to help towards new school uniforms this summer
The ECHO spoke to Wirral FUSS, a charity which recycles pre-loved uniforms and distributes them across their seven Wirral-based hubs. The charity has witnessed an increase in families using their services following the growing cost of living.
At the time, Project Co-ordinator for Wirral FUSS Petra Davies told the ECHO: "We’ve noticed the impact of the cost of living crisis already. In quarter one, from January through to March, our Hoylake hub did nearly 50% more as opposed to last year.
"Birkenhead had 292 requests compared with 75 requests the previous year. Obviously in 2021, schools were closed for an 8-week period, but the hubs were still operating and it’s difficult to compare figures with the pandemic but the figures are simply amazing."
The Welsh Government announced its plans to offer up to £300 towards school uniforms through its Pupil Development Grant. The grant is available to low income families to help with the costs of school uniform and equipment.
Would you like to see something similar in England? Or as the costs of essentials continue to climb, is it time for school uniform to be scrapped all together?
Let us know what you think about school uniforms in the survey below or click here.
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